WILLIAM  HOWARD 
1024-  15th  Street 
Rock  Island,  Illinois  ~ 


-TW-Q    SUMMERS 


AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES, 


RELATING  TO  THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE 


SAC  AND  FOX  TRIBE, 


Incidents  of  their  Noted  Chiefs,   location,  of  the  Foxes,  or  Musquakies, 
in.  Iowa,  with,  a  full  account  of  their 


TRADITIONS,  RITES  AND  CEREMONIES, 


And  the  personal  experience  of  the  writer  for  two  and  a  half  years 
among   them. 


BY  ALLIE  B.   BUSBY. 


VINTON,  IOWA: 
HERALD  BOOK  AND  JOB  ROOMS, 


Copyright  1886. 


E  . 


PREFACE. 

This  little  work  is  presented  without  apology.  It 
claims  for  itself  nothing.  The  critic,  if  he  condescend  to 
notice  it,  may  find  upon  its  pages  errors  of  thought  or 
diction, 

"Yet  to  its  virtues,  if  you  can,  be  kind, 
And  to  all  error  just  a  little  blind." 

The  incidents  relating  to  the  early  history  of  the  Sac 
and  Fox  tribe  have  been  taken  from  reliable  sources,  and 
the  anecdotes  of  Keokuk,  and  other  Chiefs,  given — not 
because  they  are  especially  worthy,  but  to  delineate  some 
phase  of  Indian  character.  With  reference  to  the  Mus- 
quakies,  personal  observation  and  experience,  with  infor- 
mation gained  from  the  Chiefs  and  leading  men,  at  vari- 
ous times,  has  furnished  the  remainder;  and  so  it  is  pre- 
sented to  your  kindly  notice  by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


> 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

The  Bed  Man  Tells  the  Story  of  his  Life— The  Hand  of  Destiny— 
A  Plea  for  the  Acts  of  the  Indian — Andersonville. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Oratory — The  Words  of  Pontiac — Logan — Tecumseh — Source  of 
Eloquence— The  Mountains — Iowa's  History — Footprints  of 
the  White  man. 

CHAPTER   III. 

Sac  and  Fox  Tribe — Iowa— Captain  Jordan  Gives  Personal  Recol- 
lections of  1822 — Keokuk — Visit  of  Indians  to  Washington — 
Speeches — Trouble  With  Sioux — A  Council — A  Fight. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Keokuk — The  Sioux  Camp — The  Missionary — Last  Treaty  Made — 
White  Woman  in  Camp — Poweshiek  and  Other  Chiefs— An 
Indian  Hero. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Shawnees  —  Tradition  —  I-am-oi  — Wis-u-ka — The  Flood —  Divided 
into  Clans — Mi-a-shaum — Ceremony  and  Ordinance— Sacred 
Songs. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Another  Version  of  the  Flood — Osage  Tradition— Origin  of  Corn 
Thanksgiving — Joaquin  Miller — Searching  after  light. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Gradual  Separation  of  the  Tribes— Sauk-e-nuk— Musquakies— Land 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

• 

Purchased  in  Tama  County— Opposed  to  Progression— Strin- 
gent Measures  Adopted. 

CHAPTEK  VIII. 

First  Sight  of  the  Indian— Sac  and  Fox  Agency— A  Dismal  Vision 
Government  Building — The  Agent— Visit  to  a  Wick-i-up— The 
Witch  of  Endor — First  Impressions— Good  Bye. 

CHAPEER  IX. 

Romance — No  Marriage  Service — Old  Customs  of  Courtship — In- 
dian Weddings — Fidelity  to  a  Friend— Cheyenne  Girl — The 
Brave— The  Seminole  Chieftain— Legend  of  a  Grotto. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Indian  Village — The  Lodges — "Make  Soup" — Costume — A  Snake 
"Manitou" — Snake  D.ance— Smoking  Horses— The  Wolf  and 
Bear  Dance— Mam  ma-kaw-shaw — War  Dance. 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Divided  into  Bands— Chiefs  and  Councilors — Work  of  the  Women 
— The  Old  Council  Room. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Tecanna— Dog  Soup— Invited  Guests— A  Green  Stick — The 
Orchestra — The  Dance — The  Indian  Belle — Prayer. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Grave  Yard — Ceremonies  at  the  Lodge — A  Sick  Child — A 
Funeral — Burial  of  a  Warrior— The  Belief  of  the  Indian — 
Fires  on  the  Grave — u  Day  Star '' — Burial  of  Black  Hawk — 
u  Here  they  rest.'' 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Oke-mau — A  Dinner — Sacred  Things — The  Jeweler — Pie-yaus — 
Mesh  a-Noke— "  How  Much  Pay?"— Gambling— The  Politician 
— "  Inalienable  Rights." 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Bear  City — Winnebago  Town — The  Ponies — Sam — I-yan-o-pee — 
Jenny — Jim  Morgan — Visitors — John's  House — A  Fraud. 


CONTENTS.    '  Vii' 

CHAPTKH  XVI. 

Education  from  an  Indian  Standpoint — Mate-tau-qua's  Speech — 
Report  of  Indian  Agent  in  1874 — A  Wise  Legislation  Needed 
— Efforts  Made — Joyous  Life  of  the  Indian  Boy. 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

Special  Efforts  to  Organize  a  School — The  Spy — A  Difference  of 
Opinion — Mistaken  Identity— "  Me  Kill  You." 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Language — Elliott's  Bible — The  First  Pupil — Saw-swa — Punish- 
ment—Object Lessons— The  Voice  of  Nature. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Jimmie — 'Pee-to — Victory  or  Defeat,  Which? — A  Lesson — O-one-e 
— A  Fight— Shyness  of  the  Indian*  Girl — Letters — Painting  a 
Picture — Visitors — "  The  Nasty  Things  " — A  Frosty  Presence 
—"Quid  Erin." 

CHAPTER  XX. 

A  Visit — Wau-com-mo — Metwee — Sick  unto  Death — The  Medicine 
Man — u  Not  my  Case  " — A  Missionary—"  Good  Bye  "—Mourn 
not  for  the  Dead— The  Ceremony  of  Throwing  Away  the  Dead 
—Presents— Adopted  in  Place  of  the  Dead— Ho,  hoi  La  Crosse. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Joseph  Tesson — His  House — Displeasure  of  the  Indians — Born  in 
Nebraska — Joined  the  Cavalry — The  Lieutenant  Taking  Scalps 
— The  Fight — The  Captain — Going  Home — Pension — A  Scout 
— The  Broad  Missouri. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Col.  Davenport — Adopted  into  the  Tribe — Whisky — Effect  on  the 
Indian — Hon.  O.  H.  Mills  as  Agent — The  School  House 
Painted  lied — Appointment  of  W.  H.  Black  as  Agent — In- 
crease of  Drunkenness — No  Employes — lion.  B.  T.  Frederick 
— Compulsory  Education — The  Indian  Department  Should 
Exert  its  Authority. 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Petition  Presented  to  Congress  by  Hon.  James  Wilson — Keokuk 
and  his  Braves — Counting  the  Indians — Keokuk  in  Washing- 
ton—O.  H.  Mills  the  Indian's  Attorney- Judge  Kinne  Also 
Intercedes  in  their  Behalf — Injustice. 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Efforts  to  Injure  the  School — Politeness — Almost  an  Oath—"  May 
be  I  Lied  " — A  Masonic  Symbol — Payment  of  Annuity  Money 
— The  Indians  and  the  Insspector. 

CHAPTER   XXV. 

No  Respect  for  Women — Polygamy  and  Immorality  Practiced — 
Murder  of  a  Pawnee  by  Black  Wolf — Another  Crime — Not  so 
Bad  as  they  Might  be — Time  Rings  its  Changes. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Christianizing  the  Indian — A  Missionary  should  Live  at  the  Indian 
Village — Learn  the  Language — The  Chiefs  and  Leading  Men 
Influence  the  Whole  Tribe — A  Missionary  Spirit — Work  of 
Episcopal  Church  and  Others — Native  Preachers — "  I  Would 
then  be  a  Heathen'' — Missionary  Society  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church— Its  Efforts  to  Christianize  the  Indian. 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Friends  of  tne  Indian — Starvation — The  French  Lady — A  Gatling 
Gun — Death  of  Big  Snake — Remarks  of  Bishop  Whipple — An 
Age  of  Tragedy— Col.  A.  B.  Meacham— "  Roll  Back,  Long 
Years"— Mrs.  H.  II.  Jackson— Story  of  the  Poncas. 


"LO,  THE  POOR  INDIAN." 

"  Lo,  the  poor  Indian."  He  appeals  to  you  in  a  thou- 
sand ways, — to  ycur  love  of  thrilling  adventure,  to  the  ro- 
mantic ideas  with  which  you  have  invested  him.  In  your 
eyes  he  may  be  half  fiend,  quarter  angel,  and  the  other 
quarter  an  unknown  commodity,  made  up  of  heterogene- 
ous qualities — but  here  he  is,  a  substantial,  prosaic,  practi- 
cal, stubborn  fact,  and  in  the  expressive  language  of  the 
vocabulary  of  the  day,  "  What  are  you  going  to  do  about 
it  r" 

"  Lo,  the  poor  Indian."  He  is  the  father  of  his  coun- 
try— he  is  more.  He  is  also  its  mother,  cousin  and  aunt. 
In  the  early  years  of  its  history  he  kept  it  from  being  too 
rapidly  settled  up  by  a  foreign  element.  He  received,  or 
rather  took,  many  a  memento  of  the  early  settlers  which 
he  carried  with  him  whithersoever  he  went,  and  by  a  cu- 
rious coincidence,  it  was  always  something  with  which 
they  were  loth  to  part.  He  has  trod  with  lofty  bearing 
and  firm  step  the  trail  through  the  pathless  forest,  while 
behind  him  came  his  faithful  squaw,  loaded  with  wood,  a 
couple  of  papooses  and  three  puppies.  How  majestic  his 
mien  as  he  gazes  around  as  monarch  of  all  he  surveys. 
Gracefully  he  reclines  upon  the  earth,  which  is  his  lawful 
heritage,  and  indulges  in  a  chew  of  rank  tobacco,  redolent 
with  the  perfume  of  kerosene. 


JO  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

He  is  a  child  of  nature.  An  emanation  from  the  trees 
and  the  lakes,  even  the  earth  itself.  The  thunder  and  the 
lightning  are  his  playfellows,  and  his  spirit  thrills  at  the* 
rushing  of  the  waters,  or  the  heaped  up  fury  of  the  winds. 
He  has  his  faults — but  so  have  you.  He  has  also  his 
trials — judge  him  not  harshly.  His  squaw  may  be  lazy 
and  discord  dwell  in  the  wigwam,  and  his  lofty  soul  must 
sink  to  the  groveling  things  of  earth,  when  he  finds  there 
is  no  soup  for  the  mid-day  meal.  He  has  his  difficulties. 
The  refractory  squaw  must  be  brought  to  her  senses,  or 
else  traded  off  to  another  brave  for  a  couple  of  ponies  and 
a  pipe. 

"  Lo.  the  poor  Indian."  Cherish  him  tenderly,  he  is 
passing  away.  The  remnant  of  the  race  is  becoming  less 
and  less.  His  peculiarities  will  soon  be  gone,  and  he  him- 
self enshrouded  in  the  great  unknown.  Stay  not  his  pro- 
gress to  the  eternal  camping  ground.  His  power  is  gone. 
Where  once  he  trod  with  the  firm  step  of  a  warrior  the 
child  of  the  pale  face  dwells.  Upon  his  hunting  ground 
the  white  man  reaps  the  golden  grain,  and  gathers  the 
fruit  of  a  bountiful  harvest.  He  is  not  appreciated. 
He  is  behind  the  times.  The  busy  whirl  of  fortune's 
wheel  has  tossed  him — backward,  but  though  fate  is  against 
him,  he  bears  his  ills  with  the  calm  of  a  philosopher,  or  the 
stoicism  of  a  stone  god.  Soon  will  the  stealthy  rustle  of 
his  footsteps  be  heard  no  more.  Soon  shall  the  last  splash 
of  his  white  canoe  echo  along  the  shores  of  time;  but  when 
the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun  are  gilding  the  hill  tops, 
and  the  heavens  are  all  aglow,  oh,  look !  beyond  the  clouds 
that  are  rolled  backward  is  the  Indian's  Paradise. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  1 1 

Behold  the  pleasant  prairies  and  the  golden  corn  in  the 
distance;  see  the  game  upon  the  hillside,  and  the  fish 
springing  forth  from  the  rivers,  while  the  white  wigwams 
are  beside  the  rippling  waters  of  eternal  peace.  Here  in 
that  land  of  the  great  Hereafter,  shall  the  Indian  dwell 
forever,  and  while  upon  the  wampum  he  reads  the  story 
of  the  blessed,  the  smile  of  the  Great  Spirit  shall  rest  upon 
him. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  lied  Man  Tells  the  Story  of  His  Life— The  Hiind  of  Destiny  - 
A  Plea  for  the  Acts  of  the  Indian — Andersonville. 

Back  from  the  shadowy  days  of  the  past,  ringing  over 
hill  and  prairie,  and  making  shrill  echoes  through  the 
depths  of  the  mighty  forest,  comes  to  our  ears  the  fierce 
war  whoop  of  the  Indian  as  'twas  heard  in  days  of  yore; 
while  again  we  listen  to  the  rythm  of  his  barbaric  song,  as 
it  comes  floating  down  through  the  ages,  till  in  fancy  we 
behold  the  dusky  faces  around  the  camp-fires,  and  listen 
as  the  warrior  tells  the  story  of  his  prowess  and  cunning 
in  the  fight,  as  with  exultant  cry  he  shakes  the  scalps 
which  decorate  his  belt. 

With  fleet  footsteps  roamed  the  Indian  over  hill  and 
prairie,  and  followed  the  trail  where  no  white  man's  foot- 
steps had  ever  trod;  now  climbing  to  the  height  where  the 
fierce  eagle  rears  her  brood;  and  again  chasing  the  wild 
buffalo  on  his  native  plains.  Such  a  wild,  free  life,  grand 
in  its  freedom,  had  a  fascination  all  its  own  for  the  dusky 
brave  of  the  forest.  Listen  to  his  story: 

Hark,  'tis  the  voice  of  the  Red  man, 

Singing  of  days  gone  by, 
When  nature  joined  in  the  chorus, 

And  the  hopes  of  his  heart  were  high; 
The  blood  through  his  veins  like  lightning, 

Coursed  with  an  eager  flow, 
As  far  over  hill  and  prairie 

The  trail  of  his  footsteps  go. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  13 

We  are  not  slaves,  my  brothers, 

Born  under  God's  free  sky; 
The  whispering  winds  of  the  forest 

Chanted  our  lullaby; 
Fast  as  the  deer  through  the  woodland, 

The  feet  of  the  children  fall; 
And  they  sleep  but  the  sleep  of  gladness, 

When  the  night  shade  is  over  all. 

Many  a  brave,  my  brothers, 

We  have  reared  in  our  Indian  band, 
Many  a  hunter  brave  and  strong, 

The  red  knife  in  his  hand; 
Like  wind  o'er  the  waving  tree  tops, 

Like  flying  feet  of  light, 
Over  the  lonely  pathway, 

lie  keeps  the  deer  in  sight. 

Round  our  home  in  the  forest, 

When  evening  shadows  fell, 
We  heard  in  the  far  off  distance, 

The  sound  of  the  wolf's  wild  yell; 
When  the  pipe  was  passed  among  us, 

And  the  camp-fires  glimmered  bright, 
We  told  the  young  braves  round  us 

Of  many  a  bloody  fight. 

With  footsteps  sly  and  noiseless, 

We  tracked  the  foe  to  his  lair, 
And  burning  with  hate  and  vengeance, 

Our  war  whoops  filled  the  air; 
And  all  through  the  quiet  evening, 

'Till  dawning  of  the  light, 
The  sound  of  their  women's  wailing, 

Pierced  through  the  star-lit  night. 


I.}.  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

Thus  we  lived  in  the  leafy  forest, 

"Where  never  a  white  foot  trod, 
And  as  nature  taught  we  worshipped 

The  spirit  whom  men  call  God. 
When  our  people  passed  from  among  us, 

We  laid  them  in  heaped  up  mounds, 
And  lighted  a  torch  to  guide  them 

To  the  happy  hunting  grounds. 

We  are  not  dogs,  my  brothers, 

Low  at  your  feet  to  lie; 
The  red  man  has  heart  of  feeling, 

He  can  fight  for  his  home  or  die. 
Fierce  as  the  cruel  whirlwind, 

When  the  war  fiend  is  on  his  track; 
Deadly  his  touch  as  the  lightning, 

'Ere  the  Great  One  calls  it  back. 

White  men,  ye  are  our  brothers- 
Lend  us  a  helping  hand; 
The  cry  comes  up  from  the  north  land, 

And  up  from  the  southern  land- 
Give  the  rights  that  humanity  teaches, 

Give  justice  to  all— and  then 

Let  the  Indian  stand  among  you, 

A  man,  in  the  midst  of  men. 

What  more  interesting  study  can  be  found  than  that 
of  the  Indian  race,  as  pertaining  to  their  mythology,  tradi- 
tion, customs,  etc.?  Whence  came  they?  Echo  gives  no 
answer  to  the  query.  Speculation  fails.  Existence  alone 
demonstrates  the  fact  that  they  are,  and  have  been.  Even 
science,  all  powerful  though  it  be,  fails  to  throw  any  clear 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  15 

light  upon  the  subject.  The  theory  is  advanced  that  the 
Indians  are  descendants  of  the  "Mound  Builders;"  also,  of 
the  lost  tribe  of  Israel,  but  no  actual  proof  is  forthcoming 
to  substantiate  this,  and  as  it  is  not  a  question  .for  the  ex- 
ercise of  faith,  the  origin  of  this  peculiar  people  must  still 
remain  wrapped  around  with  a  mantle  of  obscurity,  and 
shrouded  in  the  dust  of  by  gone  ages.  Did  they  roam 
o'er  the  trackless  waste  when  the  world  was  new?  Dwelt 
they  afar  in  some  strange  land  we  know  not  of?  Who 
can  say?  The  finger  of  destiny  ever  beckons  onward, 
either  to  progression  or  decay.  A  people  are  and  are  not. 
A  nation  rises  to  the  height  of  its  glory,  then  fades  away, 
and  is  almost  forgotten  in  the  busy  whirlpool,  where  so 
many,  and  so  much  has  found  a  grave.  Only  in  glancing 
backward  through  the  ages  may  we  behold  the  footprints 
of  some  extinct  nation,  or  people.  So  the  time  may  corne, 
nay,  will  come,  when  the  last  echo  of  the  red  man's  foot- 
steps shall -be  heard,  as  he  journeys  toward  the  setting  sun, 
and  he-shall  cease  to  be. 

It  is  probable  that  the  whole  Indian  nation  was  at  one 
time  under  one  leader  or  chief;  as  the  peculiar  character- 
istics and  customs  of  one  tribe  largely  resemble,  and  relate 
in  a  great  measure,  to  all,  though  this  may  be  open  to  crit- 
icism, from  the  fact  that  so  many  languages,  or  dialects, 
are  among  the  tribes.  Separate  leadership,  and  separate 
interests,  probably  arising  from  disagreement,  undoubtedly 
divided  the  Indians  into  clans,  or  bands,  and  as  history  re- 
peats itself,  has  this  not  always  been  noticeable  since  the 
world  was?  The  hand  of  destiny  has  guided  the  helm, 
and  wielded  by  an  invisible  power,  events  have  arisen,  per- 


l6  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 


haps  trivial  in  themselves,  but  intended  to  work  out  some 
projected  result.  So  difficulties  and  quarrels  have  divided 
one  from  the  other,  and  a  separation  of  interest  has  ensued. 
Even  feuds,  that  lasted  a  lifetime,  caused  fierce  war  to  be 
waged  on  different  tribes,  that  almost  exterminated  them, 
until  those  which  numbered  thousands  dwindled  down  to 
comparatively  but  a  few. 

Sad  must  it  be  for  the  Indian  to  look  back  to  the  days 
of  his  greatness,  and  with  retrospective  eye  behold  the  vast 
acres,  with  their  waving  trees  and  flowing  waters,  that 
once  were  the  sole  property  of  his  race;  and  deep  down  in 
his  soul  does  there  not  arise  a  spirit  of  resentment  toward 
those  who  have  wrested  from  him  all  these  valleys,  and 
hills,  in  which  his  heart  delighted?  If  this  feeling  does  not 
arise,  then  is  he  more  than  human. 

While  viewing  the  dreadful  scenes  that  have  occurred 
in  early  history,  if  we  do  not  take  into  consideration  the 
many  unprovoked  assaults,  resulting  in  murder,  etc.,  by  the 
whites,  the  character  of  the  Indian  appears  revolting,  in- 
deed. The  following  statement  is  copied  from  a  history 
published  in  1855,  as  a  plea  for  some  of  the  acts  of  the 
Indian: 

"They  were  an  ignorant  people,  educated  alone  for 
war,  without  the  light  of  civilization,  without  the  attribute 
of  mercy  shed  abroad  by  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  They 
were  contending  for  their  homes  and  their  hunting  grounds, 
the  tombs  of  their  forefathers,  the  graves  of  their  children. 
They  saw  the  gradual  but  certain  encroachment  of  the 
whites  upon  their  lands,  and  they  had  the  sagacity  to  per- 
ceive that  unless  this  mighty  wave  of  emigration  was  ar- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  If 

rested  it  would  overwhelm  them.  They  fought  as  savage 
nature  will  fight — with  unflinching  courage,  and  unrelent- 
ing cruelty.  But  it  was  not  alone  this  encroachment  upon 
their  lands,  which  aroused  their  savage  passions.  The 
wanton  aggressions  of  the  whites,  oftentimes  provoked  the 
fearful  retaliation  of  the  red  man. 

"  The  policy  of  the  United  States  toward  the  Indians 
was  generally  of  a  specific  character,  but  in  carrying  out 
that  policy,  there  have  been  many  signal  and  inexcusable 
failures.  The  laws  enacted  by  Congress  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  rights  of  the  Indians,  and  to  promote  their  com- 
fort and  civilization  have,  in  a  great  variety  of  cases,  re- 
mained a  dead  letter  upon  the  statute  book.  Nor  is  this 
all.  There  has  ever  been  found  upon  the  western  frontier 
a  band  of  unprincipled  men,  who  have  set  at  defiance  the 
law,  debauched  the  Indians  with  ardent  spirits,  cheated 
them  out  of  their  property,  and  then  committed  aggress- 
ions upon  them,  marked  with  all  the  cruelty  and  wanton 
bloodshed  which  has  distinguished  the  career  of  the  sav- 
age. The  history  of  these  aggressions  would  fill  a  vol- 
ume. It  is  only  necessary  to  recall  to  the  mind  the  horri- 
ble and  uncalled  for  murder  of  Indians  by  whites;  the 
dark  tragedy  of  villages  being  disarmed,  then  remorseless- 
ly killed  by  white  persons  in  the  most  cruel  manner  imag- 
inable. The  unprovoked  murder  of  the  family  of  Logan; 
the  assassination  of  Bald  Eagle,  and  that  of  the  high  souled 
Cornstalk  and  his  son.  We  need  not  but  recall  these  few 
incidents,  from  the  long  catalogue  of  similar  cases,  to  sat- 
isfy every  candid  mind  that  rapine,  cruelty  and  a  thirst  for 


1 8  '    TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

human  blood  are  not  peculiarly  the  attributes  of  the  Amer- 
ican Indian." 

The  deeds  above  recorded  may  be  traced  downward 
with  slight  variation,  through  the  long  vista  of  years,  that 
comes  between  then,  and  now,  even  up  to  the  present  age 
of  philanthropy  and  civilization,  and  while  the  policy  of 
the  Government  is  still  of  a  specific  nature,  toward  the  In- 
dian, the  carrying  out  of  that  policy  often  proves  that  the 
errors  of  1855,  are  not  altogether  done  away  with  in  1886. 

Though  the  history  of  America  is  replete  with  Indian 
wars,  and  the  experience  of  thousands  testify  to  the  bloody 
onslaught;  to  the  massacre  of  innocent  persons,  to  the 
power  of  the  deadly  tomahawk,  wielded  by  the  hand 
of  a  savage  whose  soul  is  aflame  with  fury,  and  who 
knows  no  better  than  to  revenge  his  wrongs  upon  any  of 
the  hated  race,  who  have  inflicted  them.  Cruel  and  treach- 
erous, causing  horrible  butcheries  by  his  stragetic  warfare, 
torturing  the  helpless  foe  who  falls  while  still  living  to  his 
cruel  hands;  or  tearing  with  demonaic  joy  the  reeking, 
gory  scalp  from  the  fallen,  while  still  he  breathes  the 
breath  of  life.  A  horrible  picture  truly.  More  horrible 
still  when  witnessed;  but  shall  we  condemn  the  savage, 
when  civilization  perpetrates  atrocities  more  horrible  still, 
because  more  lasting?  Look  at  the  history  of  war,  in 
every  age  and  clime,  even  that  of  our  own  country  not 
very  many  years  ago.  Did  not  a  thrill  of  horror  go 
through  the  great  heart  of  the  National  the  barbarities 
inflicted  on  unfortunate  prisoners,  whom  the  fortunes  of 
war  placed  in  the  enemy's  power?  Let  the  recollection  of 
the  horrors  of  Andersonville  testify,  that  savage  warfare  is 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  1 9 

not  the  only  one  in  which  the  helpless  are  tortured.  Let 
the  deeds  there  done  exemplify  the  fact  that  the  civilized 
are  capable  o£  a  refinement  of  cruelty,  unknown  to  the 
savage  in  his  fiercest  mood.  Let  the  heaped  up  graves, 
filled  with  the  victims  of  starvation,  disease,  or  cruelty  in 
all  its  various  forms,  prove  conclusively  that  the  Indian- 
no  matter  how  vindictive,  or  diabolical  his  acts  may  have 
been — has  had  his  counterpart  in  the  race  of  all  most  fa- 
vored, whose  watchword  has  ever  been  enlightenment  and 
progression. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Oratory— The  Words  of  Pontiac— Logan— Tecumseh— Source  of 
Eloquence— The  Mountains— Iowa's  History— Footprints  of 
the  White  Man. 

Among  the  Indian  race  many  skilled  leaders  have 
been  found,  whose  names  are  handed  down  by  history, 
and  while  their  strategic  movements  were  far  removed 
from  the  tactics  of  war,  according  to  civilized  usage,  yet 
secured  many  a  famous  victory.  The  race  has  also  had 
its  orators — fierce,  fervid  and  impassioned — the  covert  sar- 
casm emanating  from  their  words  like  the  blue  flash  from 
the  sword  of  steel.  Witness  the  words  of  Pontiac  to  the 
British : 

"English  men,  although  you  have  conquered  the 
French,  you  have  not  yet  conquered  us.  We  are  not  your 
slaves.  These  lakes,  these  woods,  these  mountains,  were 
left  us  by  our  ancestors.  They  are  our  inheritance;  we 
will  part  with  them  to  none.  Your  nation  supposes  that 
we  are  like  white  people,  that  we  cannot  live  without 
bread,  and  pork,  and  beef;  but  you  must  know  that  the 
Great  Spirit,  the  Master  of  Life,  has  provided  our  food 
within  these  lakes  and  upon  these  mountains." 

Logan's  appeal  for  justice,  and  the  pathetic  recital  of 
the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  him  in  the  murder  of  his  unof- 
fending family,  is  well  known  to  every  school  boy.  The 
thrilling  eloquence  of  Cornstalk,  another  chief,  who  lived 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  21 

in  the  earlier  days  of  American  history,  rivaled  that  of  a 
Patrick  Henry;  while  Tecumseh,  the  famed  warrior,  with 
rapid,  distinct  and  impassioned  utterance,  filled  the  souls 
of  his  warriors  with  fervor,  in  the  field  or  chase.  So  many 
others  might  be  mentioned  whose  rude  oratory  was  filled 
with  sublime  and  lofty  thought.  From  whence  was  its 
origin?  Perhaps  the  mountain,  or  the  sky,  or  the  whis- 
pering of  ihe  branches,  inspired  the  tongue  of  the  red  man 
to  lofty  and  sublime  utterance.  Perhaps  new  life  was  giv- 
en by  a  touch  to  the  crude  mind,  and  like  an  eagle  it  soared 
upward.  Sublime  is  nature,  grand  in  its  very  ruggedness, 
and"nearNto  nature's  heart,"  may  not  the  souls  of  her 
children  have  been  endowed  with  some  of  her  rugged 
beauty? 

Fair  landscape  is  beautilul  to  the  eye — the  waving 
grain,  the  sparkling  streamlet,  the  glistening  fountain,  or 
the  flower  decked  garden — but  how  sublime  in  their  lonely 
grandeur,  stand  the  mountains,  upheaved  by  some  mighty 
convulsion  of  nature,  in  ages  gone;  perhaps  their  snow- 
capped tops  are  almost  beyond  the  vision  of  the  naked 
eye.  Like  lonely  sentinels  they  stand,  calm  and  still,  the 
land  mark  of  the  ages;  and  yet  volcanic  fires  may  dwell 
within  their  depths,  which  may  some  day  burst  forth  in 
all  their  fury,  and  make  of  nature  herself  one  great  confla- 
gration. 

But  down  the  mountain  conies  the  deadly  avalanche, 
and  buries  the  unwary  traveler  in  its  awful  chilling  depths. 
The  homestead — some  rude  cabin  on  the  hillside — and 
love,  perchance,  may  dwell  there,  for  what  but  love  could 
live  a  life  so  drear?  as  bleak  as  far  as  earthly  comfort  goes, 


22  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

as  is  the  mountain,  on  whose  wrinkled  sides  no  herb  or 
flower  is  seen.  A  rush,  a  cry,  and  lo!  it  is  no  more,  but 
down,  down,  down,  in  the  everlasting  depths  of  some  fath- 
omless canyon,  where  the  sunlight  never  enters,  is  all  that 
is  left  of  the  cabin  and  its  inmates;  and  still  the  mountain 
stands  immovable,  towering  aloft  its  granite  sides,  where 
human  footstep  never  trod;  its  deepest  recesses  containing 
the  secrets  of  the  ages;  its  fossils  and  petrifactions  that 
may  some  day  be  revealed  to  the  eye  of  science,  and  sym- 
bolize plainly,  what  now  is  seen,  as  through  a  glass  dark- 
ly; but  up  the  mountain,  (when  not  inaccessible)  goes  the 
fleet  footed  Indian.  Often  has  he  hidden  from  his  enemies 
in  this  way.  Often,  too,  has  he  crept  onward  with  steal- 
thy footsteps,  striking  terror  to  an  unprotected  camp. 

Iowa,  as  well  as  her  sister  States  and  Territories,  has 
had  many  a  thrilling  scene  woven  into  her  history.  The 
bleached  bones  of  the  victims  lay  uncared  for,  and  un- 
known upon  many  a  hillside.  The  body  of  many  a  trav- 
eler was  found,  and  given  burial  by  some  other  traveler, 
hoping  that  if  he  fell  before  reaching  the  El  Dorado,  some 
might  do  the  same  for  him.  The  ghost  of  tragedy  has 
stalked  along  the  way,  and  followed  the  footsteps  of  the 
one,  as  well  as  the  other.  The  Indian  has  been  shot  down 
in  cold  blood,  the  white  man  as  well,  and  often  both  to- 
gether filled  one  common  grave. 

List,  to  the  stealthy  footsteps  stealing  so  softly  to- 
ward the  lonely  home  of  the  unprotected  settler.  See  the 
treacherous  crafty  look  that  dwells  upon  the  dusky  faces. 
Onward  they  go,  making  no  more  sound  than  the  wind 
among  the  branches,  or  the  trailing  of  the  snake  through 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  23 

the  fallen  leaves.  See,  some  watcher  has  been  at  his  post, 
for  a  light  flashes  up  for  a  moment,  then  instantly  disap- 
pears, in  the  cabin  of  the  white  man.  His  dreaded  foe  is 
upon  him.  Now  let  him  show  of  what  metal  he  is  made, 
and  if  death  comes,  meet  it  bravely.  But  there  is  the 
faithful  wife,  who,  with  a  woman's  self-sacrificing  devo- 
tion, left  a  pleasant  home  in  the  far  east,  to  follow  his  foot- 
steps to  the  western  wilds;  who  made  by  tender  acts  of 
love,  even  the  wilderness  "blossom  as  the  rose."  There 
are  the  children  God  has  given  him.  He  cannot  save  all, 
whom  shall  he  take?  With  one  he  may  be  able  to  escape, 
to  steal  away  upon  a  trail  known  only  to  himself,  where 
temporary  safety  may  be  secured.  Which  shall  he  take? 
Ah!  which?  What  a  terrible  decision,  however  it  maybe. 
But  the  foe  is  creeping  "  nearer  and  still  more  near/'  The 
danger  arouses  the  spirit  of  the  lonely  settler.  Shall  he 
not  fight  for  those  he  loves  " till  death  doth  part?"  But 
the  war  whoop  is  heard,  the  fire  brand  placed  to  the  doom- 
ed dwelling;  and  when  the  inmates  are  driven  forth  by  the 
flames,  the  poisoned  arrows,  and  the  scalping  knife  do 
their  work,  while  on  the  bodies  of  the  woman  and  children 
the  mark  of  the  fatal  tomahawk  is  seen.  This  is  no  over- 
drawn picture.  The  virgin  soil,  not  only  of  Iowa,  but  of 
America,  was  baptized  with  the  life  blood  of  the  stranger, 
who  sought  her  wilds  to  build  a  home,  and  rest  his  wan- 
dering footsteps  on  her  fertile  prairies.  Well  is  it  that  those 
days  are  past. 

But  while  these  things  are  true  of  the  white  man,  has 
the  Indian  no  wrongs  of  which  to  complain?  He  gave 
liberally,  and  those  who  received  the  benefit  of  his  bounty 


24  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

turned  round  in  base  ingratitude,  and  endeavored  to  wrest 
the  remainder  from  him. 

Put  yourself  in  his  place,  noble  "  white  man," 

Who,  o'er  his  fair  land  held  proud  sway, 
Driven  back  inch  by  inch,  and  still  backward, 

No  place  for  his  footsteps  to  stay: 
You  have  taken  away  tree  and  hill-top, 

While  your  corn  o'er  his  broad  acres  waves; 
Now  you  covet  the  little  that's  left  him, 

And  grudge  him  all  else  but  a  grave. 

The  following  extracts,  with  reference  to  the  settling 
up  of  this  country  by  whites,  and  their  treatment  of  the  In- 
dians, is  taken  from  an  address  delivered  by  the  Hon. 
Henry  Clay  Dean,  on  the  "  History  of  the  Louisiana  pur- 
chase: 

"For  full  three  centuries  the  encroachments  of  the 
white  man  upon  the  Indian  had  been  aggressive,  and  au- 
gured of  the  extinction  of  the  red  race,  leaving  only  here 
and  there  a  remnant  of  the  admixture  with  the  superior 
race,  (of  whites)  to  live  in  romance  or  song.  Valley  after 
valley  was  yielded  to  the  cupidity  and  growth  of  the  Cau- 
cassian  race,  who  first  begged  a  place  to  pitch  his  tent,  as 
a  refuge  from  persecution,  then  begged  a  little  ground  to 
till  and  cultivate,  to  feed  his  children;  then  begged  a  little 
more  for  his  persecuted  brethren,  who  were  flying  from 
persecution  under  a  dominion  of  kings  and  hierarchies. 
They  wanted  a  little  more  for  the  church,  which  brought 
Christ  and  His  doctrines,  with  salvation  offered  freely  as 
the  bubbling  waters,  that  ran  down  from  the  mountains, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  25 

pure  as  the  snows  that  melted  and  gushed  down  from  the 
mountain  sides.  Then  they  wanted  more  land  on  which 
to  build  their  churches,  then  more  to  establish  a  govern- 
ment that  would  rule  both  the  churches  and  the  people; 
then  wanted  more  to  keep  an  army  to  enforce  the  gospel 
of  peace;  with  a  few  soldiers  always  ready  to  cut  the 
throats  of  men  not  willing  to  believe,  or  ready  to  obey  the 
peaceful  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  In  this  small  way  did 
our  honest  forefathers  get  their  first  fast  foothold  on  the 
continent  of  the  aborigines. 

"But  governments  grow,  power  increases  and  be- 
comes arbitrary;  this  is  Archimede's  immovable  fulcrum 
on  which  to  pla.ce  his  lever  to  move  the  world.  The  In- 
dians yielded.  King  Philip  gave  way.  Powhattan  yield- 
ed. The  beautiful  valley  of  the  Shenandoah  was  sur- 
rendered by  the  Indian  without  a  battle  or  a  massacre. 
That  land,  surrounded  by  mountain  palisades,  and  over- 
hung by  vast  and  wildly  clustered  villages  of  rocks,  be- 
came the  peacefully  acquired  possession  of  the  Caucassian 
intruder,  who  begged  an  entrance  into  the  home  of  the  In- 
dian, and  then  robbed  the  Indian  of  what  he  could  not  get 
for  the  begging.  Moving  westward  in  a  solid  and  ag- 
gressive column,  upon  the  rights  and  homes  of  the  red 
man,  he  approaches  the  sources  of  the  Monongahela. 
Here  is  the  grandest  mountain  plateau  in  all  America, 
where  standing  you  can  cast  a  stone  into  the  springs  that 
gather  the  first  waters,  that  sweep  away  through  the 
mountains  of  the  southeast  into  the  Potomac,  and  through 
its  rich  valleys  to  the  ocean;  turning  to  the  left  another 
stone  could  be  cast  into  the  waters  of  the  Monongahela, 


26  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

which  gathered  the  waters  that  drained  the  western  slope 
of  the  Alleghanies;  turning  again  to  the  setting  sun  a  stone 
could  be  cast  into  the  waters  of  the  Kanawha  and  New 
rivers,  which  are  the  grand  natural  canals  which  concen- 
trate the  waters  of  the  southwest  into  the  Ohio;  turning 
to  the  south,  springs  that  burst  forth  as  fountains  swept 
in  cascades  to  the  James  river,  and  mingled  the  cool 
mountain  waters  with  the  ocean. 

"From  this  beautiful  plateau,  by  a  gentle  descent,  the 
traveler  soon  reaches  the  Mingo  Flats,  out  of  which  bursts 
the  everlasting  fountains  of  the  Tygart  Valley.  This  wild 
sublime  scenery  of  the  mountains — not  excelled  by  any- 
thing drawn  by  the  hand  of  romance — walled  in  by  the 
last  grand  ridge  of  the  ^lleghanies,  hundreds  of  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  placid  stream,  which  flows  in  rippling 
floods  beneath  the  mountain,  then  extends  for  nearly  fifty 
miles.  On  the  east  again — on  the  very  topmost  height  of 
the  mountain,  at  nearly  two  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  valley,  a  dark  and  treacherous  river  pours  its  moun- 
tain floods  over  precipices  and  through  mountain  ridges 
for  many  miles,  then  sinks  in  the  earth;  and  after  taking 
a  subterranean  course,  suddenly  bursts  forth  again  to  pur- 
sue its  way  over  ridge  and  precipice.  This  rude,  beauti- 
ful and  romantic  valley,  was  the  birth  place  of  Logan,  the 
Mingo  Chief,  whose  plaintive  appeal  upon  the  unprovoked 
murder  of  his  family,  will  live  side  by  side,  with  the  ora- 
tion of  Judah  to  Joseph,  for  the  release  of  Benjamin,  and 
outlive  all  the  studied  art  of  eloquence. 

"  So  to  the  Muskingum,  to  the  Sciota,  to  the  Miama, 
and  finally  to  the  Wabash,  the  tribes  were  continually 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  27 

driven  backward  to  make  room  for  the  white  man,  who 
wanted  a  little  more  land  to  extend  his  civilization." 

"Tecumseh  and  his  wicked  brother,  the  Prophet,  (of 
course  we  must  call  him  wicked,  because  he  was  an  In- 
dian and  fought  against  us,)  made  the  last  bold  stand  that 
looked  like  national  war,  to  resist  the  encroachment  of 
civilization  upon  the  national  rights  of  the  Indian.  The 
natural  heroism  of  Tecumseh,  united  to  the  carefully 
planned  fanaticism  of  the  Prophet,  combined  with  the 
British  in  an  organized  war,  was  a  systematic  resistance, 
such  as  had  never  before  been  made  by  the  Indians,  since 
the  settlement  of  the  northern  portion  of  the  continent. 

"The  Prophet  was  another  Mahomet,  using  the  power 
at  his  command  upon  the  superstitious  nature  of  his  peo- 
ple, another  Joe  Smith,  improvising  the  traditions  of  his 
race;  another  Miller,  arousing  the  primitive  nations  to  pre- 
pare for  the  millenium  of  his  people,  now  at  hand.  Te- 
cumseh failed,  only  because  he  was  one  of  an  inferior  race, 
struggling  against  the  superior.  After  his  defeat,  the  en- 
terprise, and  its  first  born  child — the  aggression  of  the 
white  man — brought  its  power  into  immediate  contact 
with  the  Indian. 

"  Then  came  Black  Hawk,  who  had  fought  side  by 
side  with  Tecumseh,  whose  people  had  been  robbed  of  their 
lands  by  the  cupidity  of  the  white  men,  and  the  treachery 
of  the  red.  No  longer  a  proud  people,  with  the  history  of 
their  warriors  preserved  in  the  wampum  belt,  and  repeated 
on  the  battle  field.  Black  Hawk,  partly  in  grief  for  the 
lost  glory  of  his  race,  now  melting  away  "like  a  snow 
flake  on  the  river,"  and  partly  in  desperation,  organized 


28  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

an  Indian  army  to  prevent  the  occupation  of  their  lands  on 
the  rich  and  picturesque  Rock  River  Valley.  Believing 
that  a  contest  here  would — at  least  for  a  generation — post- 
pone the  settlement  of  the  whites  west  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  Black  Hawk  made  his  war  determined  and  vig- 
orous, but  not  with  the  usual  savage  cruelty  known  and 
practiced  by  the  earlier  tribes.  But  Black  Hawk  was 
overcome.  The  heroic  frontier  warrior,  Henry  Dodge, 
whose  family  had  suffered  from  frontier  cruelty,  who  had 
heard  in  the  cradle  the  war  whoop  of  the  Indians,  in  after 
years  had  wrested  the  tomahawk  from  their  stoutest 
braves,  defeated  Black  Hawk.  (Another  account  of  the 
capture  of  this  celebrated  Chief,  ascribes  it  to  a  couple  of 
Winnebago  Indians,  who  captured  Black  Hawk  and  de- 
livered him  up  a  prisoner). 

"Keokuk,  Waupellow,  Appanose,  Kishkokosh  and 
Poweshiek,  with  other  Chiefs  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe* 
those  who  were  hereditary,  and  those  who  received  their 
position  from  the  tribe,  were  simply  so  many  children  of 
nature,  who  grew  up  with  the  rosin  wood,  and  had  wolf 
dogs  and  ponies  for  their  companions;  hunted  the  buftalo, 
deer  or  elk,  and  other  wild  game,  and  died  and  left  behind 
a  progeny  to  perish  like  the  wild  flowers,  with,  nothing  to 
perpetuate  their  remembrance  among  nations;  leaving 
their  memories  among  their  tribes,  as  names  in  a  dreamy 
vocabulary,  on  which  to  ground  a  tradition  or  amplify  an 
old  legend.  Nature  is  itself  destructive,  and  produces 
only  to  destroy;  and  measures  its  powers  to  produce  by 
its  capacity  to  destroy.  To  this  law  man  is  no  exception 
to  the  universal  rule.  The  fish  eats  the  worm;  the  snake 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  29 

eats  the  fish;  the  swine  eats  the  snake,  and  man  eats  the 
swine.  Men  destroy  each  other,  until  the  first  victim, 
the  worm,  eats  the  man,  and  finally  the  worms  imitate  the 
example  of  men,  and  devour  each  other.  In  this  fearful 
circle  of  destruction  nature  produces,  destroys,  reprodu- 
ces, and  again  destroys  herself. 

"American  history  has  no  more  mournful  page  than 
that  of  the  gradual  disappearance  of  the  Indians,  the  first 
proprietors  of  the  soil.     The  history  of  the  disappearance 
of  the  Indian  in  civilized  America,  is  unique,  uniform,  sor- 
rowful, and  natural.     The  land  was  possessed  by  the  In- 
dian; the  buffalo,  elk  and  deer  were  his  herds,  partaking 
of   his   nature,    and   participating   in  his  nomadic  habits. 
The  bear,  panther  and  wolf,  prowled  around  his  wigwam, 
until  the  Indians  made  friends  with  the  wolf,  and  imparted 
to  him    a  domestication   wonderfully  like  his  own.     The 
pony,   wild  as  the  Indian,  served  him  well  in  the  chase. 
The  wild  apple,  plum  and  grape,  with  those  other  fruits 
that  disappear  upon  the  approach  of  the  plow,  and  other 
instruments  of  culture,  afforded  to  the  Indian  his  pleasant 
summer  sweets  and  acids;  the  wild  man,  the  wild  beasts, 
and  the  wild  fruits  lived  and  flourished  together.     But  the 
white  man  came,  and  before  him  the  enchanting  dream  of 
perpetual  dominion  fled  forever.     The  buffalo  heard  the 
strange  voice  of  the  white  man,  and  moved  his  herds  as 
an  army  stampeding  from  the  enemy.     The  Indian  saw 
the  retreating  herd  of  buffalo,  and  mounted  upon  his  pony 
— the  reason  was  natural — the  Indian's  food  and  raiment 
was  in  the  buffalo  and  kindred  beasts.     The  wolf  dog  fol- 
lowed the  Indian,  for  he  lived  upon  the  offal  of  the  chase. 


30  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

Then  came  the  change.  The  white  man  close  upon  the 
heels  of  the  Indian,  commenced  his  work  of  improvement. 
Everything  changed,  there  was  a  change  in  agriculture, 
the  rosin  weed  gave  way  to  the  corn  field.  The  natural 
grasses  were  choked  out  bv  timothy,  clover  and  blue  grass. 
There  was  a  change  in  habitation,  the  wigwam  and  lodge, 
the  shelter  of  leaves,  and  caves  in  the  earth,  gave  way  to 
the  neatly  furnished  cottage,  and  spacious  mansion,  as  the 
abode  of  culture  and  industry.  A  change  in  education, 
the  war  dance,  and  the  chase,  gave  way  to  schools,  colle- 
ges and  universities.  A  change  in  religion:  where  the  In- 
dian woman  stood  in  dread  of  the  medicine  man,  and  the 
prophet  of  the  tribe,  and  held  her  child  as  the  offspring  of 
fate,  and  worshipped  dimly  the  Great  Spirit;  the  white 
woman  takes  her  child  to  the  altar  of  Christ  in  baptism. 
Barbarism  has  given  way  to  civilization,  and  the  grim 
shadow  of  idolatry  has  given  way  to  Christianity." 


CHAPTER  III. 

Sac  and  Fox  Tribe  —Iowa— Captain  Jordan  Gives  Personal  Recol- 
lections of  1822— Keokuk— Visit  of  Indians  to  Washington- 
Speeches — Trouble  with  Sioux — Council — A  Fight. 

The  history  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  is  closely 
identified  with  the  history  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  and  events 
in  the  early  history  of  the  one,  are  identified,  and  made  a 
part  of  the  other,  so  that  the  loom  of  Time  has  woven 
them  together  side  by  side.  The  signification  of  the  word 
Iowa  is  popularly  conceded  "  the  beautiful  land,''  but  some 
writers  assert  that  it  is  not  a  Sauk,  but  a  Sioux  word,  the 
original  being  I-yu-ba,  and  given  to  the  section  of  country 
inhabited  by  the  Sac's  and  Foxes.  In  our  opinion  this  is 
erroneous,  and  the  correct  interpretation  is  that  of  Antoine 
Le  Claire,  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Da- 
venport, and  one  of  its  founders.  This  is  "the  beautiful 
land,"  which  seems  to  be  universally  accepted. 

A  large  portion  of  Iowa  soil  was  at  one  time  owned 
by  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe,  and  their  adventures,  the  treaties 
made  with  them,  etc.,  and  the  frequent  wars  between  them 
and  other  tribes,  especially  the  Sioux,  is  interwoven  with 
the  history  of  our  fair  State,  and  will  be  handed  down  as 
a  part  of  herfcantiquarian  lore,  when  the  foot  of  the  red 
man  shall  cease  to  tread  upon  her  hills  or  prairies.  The 
history  of  these  peculiar  people  has  been  so  often  recorded 


32  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

by  the  historian,  or  by  the  early  settler  writing  up  the 
hardships  and  dangers  of  his  lot,  when  Iowa  was  only  the 
child  of  promise,  that  only  brief  mention  will  be  given  in 
these  pages,  as  far  as  their  early  history  goes,  and  that 
only  as  pertains  to  incident  or  adventure,  or  slight  men- 
tion of  some  of  the  leading  characters,  whose  deeds  of 
valor  lighted  up  what  would  be  otherwise,  only  the  record 
of  a  dull  and  prosaic  people,  whose  fighting  qualities  alone 
made  them  conspicuous. 

Early  records  of  these  tribes  prove  that  they  were  not 
consolidated  until  they  became  weak  in  number,  from  fre- 
quent wars;  they  therefore  joined  together  for  mutual 
protection  against  other  tribes,  more  powerful  than  them- 
selves. The  Sac  Indians  had  been  engaged  for  some  time 
in  a  war  with  the  Iroquois,  who  occupied  the  eastern 
country,  or  a  large  portion  of  it,  and  had  become  much 
reduced  in  number.  On  moving  to  the  west,  they  found 
the  Fox  tribe  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Green  Bay,  and 
joining  together,  they  were  henceforth  known  as  a  consol- 
idated tribe.  In  1760  a  Jesuit  priest  records  them  being 
located  at  Green  Bay.  Both  tribes,  however,  formerly 
lived  near  the  headwaters  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

The  first  landing  of  whites  on  Iowa  soil  is  supposed  to 
be  about  1673.  Davenport  was  then  a  large  Indian  vil- 
lage. Early  French  traders  also  found  a  settlement  of 
these  Indians  at  Dubuque.  The  name  of  Black  Hawk, 
and  some  of  the  noted  Chiefs  who  succeeded,  or  were 
under  him,  invest  this  tribe  with  an  interest  that  otherwise 
would  not  have  been  theirs.  Black  Hawk  was  born  at 
the  Sac  village,  on  Rock  River,  in  the  year  1766,  and  at 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  33 

quite  an  early  age  became  a  warrior,  evincing  much  skill 
in  all  sorts  of  warfare.  He  committed  many  depredations 
upon  the  early  settlers,  and  fought  many  battles  with  other 
tribes,  as  well  as  with  the  soldiers  sent  by  the  Govern- 
ment, for  the  protection  of  the  settlers.  Several  treaties 
were  made  with  him,  looking  to  the  future  settlement  of 
the  country  by  whites;  but  as  they  continued  to  encroach 
upon  the  land  ot  the  Indians,  the  war  continued  at  inter- 
vals until  the  year  1833,  wnen  Black  Hawk  was  captured, 
after  contending,  so  bravely  and  so  long,  for  what  he  con- 
sidered the  just  rights  of  his  people.  He  was  then  about 
sixty-six  years  of  age.  (The  powder  horn  taken  from 
him  at  the  time  of  his  capture,  is  now  at  the  rooms  of  the 
Historical  Society  in  Iowa  City). 

At  one  time  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  dwelt  in  the  south- 
eastern portion  of  the  State,  and  the  Pottawattamies  in 
the  south  and  southwestern;  and  often  they  allied  forces, 
and  went  out  against  their  common  enemy,  the  Sioux, 
whose  hunting  ground  was  directly  north.  Bitter  enmity 
existed,  (even  now,  after  so  many  years  have  passed,  the 
name  of  Sioux  excites  hatred  in  the  heart  of  these  Indians, 
the  old  feeling  having  never  died  out).  The  Government 
established  a  boundary  line,  but  this  proved  useless.  A 
strip  of  land,  some  forty  miles  in  width,  was  then  purchas- 
ed between  them,  and  no  Indians  allowed  to  settle  thereon. 
Even  this  proved  unavailing  in  settling  the  difficulty,  until 
the  war  was  virtually  ended  by  the  capture  of  Black 
Hawk.  This  noted  Chieftain,  superstitious  as  are  all  In- 
dians, was  very  much  under  the  influence  of  his  prophet, 
Wah-bo-kie-skuk,  who  predicted  the  ultimate  success  of 


34  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 


the  war.  At  the  end  of  which  Wah-bo-kie-skuk,  probably 
becoming  disgusted  with  his  false  prophecy,  or  as  is  more 
probable,  not  being  able  longer  to  inspire  faith  in  himself, 
or  his  power  in  the  hearts  of  the  Indians,  went  to  the  Win- 
nebago  camp,  and  returned  no  more  to  dwell  with  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes. 

Captain  Jordan  thus  describes  the  tribes  as  visited 
and  seen  by  himself  in  1822,  sixty-four  years  since.  Re- 
ferring to  the  beauty  of  the  country,  he  writes: 

"The  valley  and  surrounding  country  was  simply  a 
magnificent  flower  garden,  wild  roses,  touch-me-nots,  lil- 
ies, morning-glories,  honey-suckles,  and  many  other  vari- 
eties  abounding   in   great   profusion.      Here    and    there 
through  this   vista   of  beauty    were   numbers  of   Indian 
towns,  to  which  the  aborigines  flocked  in  the  summer  to 
idle  away  time  and  enjoy  life,  scattering  out  when  winter 
approached  in  small  squads  to  establish  hunting  and  trap- 
ping camps  on  the  banks  of  various  streams.     The  Sacs 
and  Foxes  were,  as  a  rule,  inoffensive  and  of  mild  dispo- 
sitions.    One  of  their  notable  mental  characteristics  was 
their  unfailing  memories;  another,  their  implicit  confidence 
in  their  religious  faith.     All  good  on  earth,  they  believed, 
emanated  from  the  Great  Spirit,  and  all  evil  from  Wallis- 
ka,  or  Satan,  who,  they  believed,  might  be  propitiated  by 
prayer,  while  the  favor  of  the  Great  Spirit  might  be  ob- 
tained in  return  for  a  virtuous  life,  and  would  result  in 
semi-spiritual  life   in   the   happy   hunting   grounds   over 
there.     At  death  the  face  of  a  brave  was  heavily,  yet  artis- 
tically, decorated  with  red  lead  and  vermillion,  two  packa- 
ges of  which  were  wrapped  in  his  blanket  with  various 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  35 

trinkets  and  relics,  and  rations  for  a  three  days'  march, 
and  the  brave  was  laid  away  to  make  his  aerial  flight  heav- 
enward. Regular  hurrying  grounds  were  located  in 
which  hundreds  of  rude  graves  could  be  seen.  The  In- 
dian observed  no  Sabbath  or  regular  holidays.  The  med- 
icine-man acted  as  a  spiritual  adviser,  physician,  and 
teacher  of  tradition  or  Indian  history.  His  medicine  chest, 
a  large  bag  made  of  tanned  bear  hide,  was  considered  as 
sacred,  and  was  profaned  if  opened  by  other  hands,  than 
those  of  the  priest  or  medicine-man.  Monogamy  was  the 
rule  usually  observed  in  the  domestic  relation,  though  po- 
lygamy was  practiced  by  them  at  will.  Marriage  was 
respected  by  all  so  long  as  the  contract  continued,  but  di- 
vorces were  common,  and  were  made,  as  were  marriages, 
without  ceremony,  but  by  mutual  agreement,  simply  by 
the  parties  to  the  contract.  A  marriage  of  the  same  cou- 
ple after  divorcement  was  irreligious  and  forbidden — they 
must  never  speak  to  each  other — but  either  party  was  al- 
lowed to  marry  a  new  husband  or  wife.  Their  rules, 
laws,  and  customs  were  established  in  general  council,  and 
the  validity  of  a  rule  once  established  by  the  majority  of 
a  full  council,  was  sacred  and  not  to  be  questioned.-  In 
conformity  with  such  rules  the  expressed  opinion  of  the 
head  chief  was  absolute  law.  In  case  of  death  of  the  chief 
his  wife  reigned  as  queen.  They  lived  in  great  peace  and 
happiness.  In  1833  there  were  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  who 
were  united  in  one  nation  under  the  leadership  of  the  great 
Black  Hawk,  35,000  braves,  or  probably  100,000  Indians, 
with  towns  and  summer  headquarters  on  the  Des  Moines 
river.  The  savage  Sioux  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Des 


36  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

Moines,  and  the  Omahas  on  the  Missouri,  were  their  ene- 
mies, while  the  pale-face  in  the  east  was  a  quasi-friend, 
believed  to  be  of  questionable  honesty;  but  of  his  insatia- 
ble greed  the  Indian  seemed  incapable  of  comprehension. 
Black  Hawk  alone  saw  the  inevitable  extinction  of  his 
proud  race  of  people  in  the  future,  and  dreaded  the  ap- 
proaching Caucassian  avalanche  as  he  dreaded  the  rava- 
ges of  the  prairie  fare.1' 

Keokuk,  a  sub-Chief,  whose  name  signifies  "the 
Watchful  Fox,"  was  appointed  by  the  Government  head 
Chief  in  the  place  of  Black  Hawk.  Keokuk  had  been 
friendly  to  the  whites,  and  he  and  his  band  had  taken  no 
part  in  the  war,  in  fact  he  did  all  he  could  to  prevent  it. 
It  remains  in  doubt  whether  this  was  done  from  any  spe- 
cial love  for  the  white  race,  or  from  prudential  reasons,  as 
an  act  of  policy  and  diplomacy.  The  astute  Keokuk,  with 
the  cunning  watchfulness  signified  by  his  name,  may  have 
looked  to  futurity  and  seen  with  the  eye  of  a  seer,  that  the 
tide  of  immigration  could  no  more  be  stemmed  than  the 
torrents  of  a  mighty  river,  and  that  the  march  of  progres- 
sion must  still  be  onward.  It  was  then  a  wise  policy  to 
make  friends  with  the  power  that  would  eventually  be 
successful. 

A  writer  thus  speaks  of  the; Chieftainship  falling  upon 
Keokuk: 

"Ater  the  capture  of  Black  Hawk,  and  at  the  treaty 
that  followed,  Keokuk  was  made  Chief  of  both  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes.  This  Chief,  little  less  renowned  than  Black 
Hawk,  for  bravery  and  cunning  in  war,  was  yet  quite  a 
contrast  to  the  latter  in  personal  appearance,  and  in  his 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  37 

relations  with  the  whites.  Black  Hawk  was  a  man  of 
small  stature,  while  Keokuk  was  a  portly  Indian,  weigh- 
ing probably  over  two  hundred  pounds.  While  Black 
Hawk  was  pursuing  his  hostile  attempts  to  check  the  en- 
croachments of  the  whites,  Keokuk  remained  either  neu- 
tral, or  friendly  to  the  latter.  In  this  he  had  many  adhe- 
rents, which  prevented  Black  Hawk  from  bringing  a  much 
larger  force  to  the  field,  as  a  strong  partisan  leader,  he 
had  desired  to  do.  For  this  reason,  and  in  order  to  ensure 
permanent  peace  with  the  Indians,  the  Government, 
through  its  agents,  ordered  the  appointment  of  Keokuk  to 
the  Chieftainship  of  the  tribes." 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  Black  Hawk,  Keo- 
kuk, Powesheik,  Appenose,  and  other  Chiefs  and  braves, 
visited  Washington,  and  many  cities  of  the  east.  Multi- 
tudes of  people  thronged  the  streets  eager  to  behold  the 
western  visitors,  whose  fame  in  warlike  exploits  had  pre- 
ceded them.  In  Boston  they  were  given  a  public  recep- 
tion in  Fanueil  Hall,  both  on  the  part  of  the  State  and  the 
City. 

Keokuk,  who  was  a  graceful  and  thrilling  orator, 
made  a  characteristic  speech  on  the  occasion,  in  response 
to  an  address  of  welcome  by  Gov.  Everett.  He  said: 

"  Keokuk  and  his  Chiefs  are  very  much  gratified  that 
they  have  had  the  pleasure  of  shaking  hands  with  the 
Governor  of  this  great  State,  and  also  with  the  men  that 
surround  him. 

"You  well  say,  brother,  that  the  Great  Spirit  has 
made  both  of  us,  though  your  color  is  white,  and  mine 
red;  but  he  made  your  heart  and  mine  the  same.  The 


•28  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

J  -v* 

only  difference,  I  find,  is  he  made  you  to  speak  one  lan- 
guage, and  I  another.  He  made  the  same  sky  above  our 
heads  for  both.  He  gave  us  hands  to  take  each  other  by, 
and  eyes  to  see  each  other.  I  wish  to  take  all  by  the 
hand.  To  shake  hands  with  all  my  white  brothers. 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  say,  before  I  die,  that  I  have 
been  in  the  great  house,  where  my  fathers  and  your  fath- 
ers used  to  speak  together,  as  we  do  now.  And  I  hope 
the  Great  Spirit  is  pleased  with  the  sight,  and  will  long 
continue  to  keep  friendship  between  the  white  and  the  red 
man.  I  hope  that  now  in  this  place  he  sees  and  hears  our 
hearts  proffer  friendship  to  each  other,  and  that  he  will  aid 
us  in  all  that  we  are  engaged  in. 

"My  remarks  are  short,  and  this  is  what  I  say  to 
you:  I  take  my  friends  all  by  the  hand,  and  wish  the 
Great  Spirit  to  give  them  all  a  blessing." 

After  Keokuk  concluded  his  speech,  Appenose,  who 
was  a  Sac  Chief,  took  the  floor  and  thus  spoke: 

"  You  have  all  heard  what  my  Chief  says.  We  are 
much  pleased  by  our  visit  here.  This  is  the  place  which 
our  forefathers  once  inhabited.  I  have  often  heard  my 
father,  and  grand  father,  speak  of  living  near  the  sea  coast, 
when  the  first  white  man  came.  As  far  as  I  understand 
the  language  of  the  white  people,  it  appears  to  me  that  the 
Americans  have  attained  a  very  high  rank,  among  white 
people.  It  is  the  same  with  us,  though  I  say  it  myself. 
Where  we  live,  beyond  the  Mississippi,  I  am  respected  by 
all  people,  and  they  consider  me  the  tallest  among  them. 
I  am  happy  to-day,  that  two  great  men  meet,  and  shake 
hands  with  each  other." 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  39 

He  then  walked  over  to  Governor  Everett,  extended 
his  hand,  and  shook  hands  with  him,  amid  the  laughter  of 
the  whole  assembly,  which  Appenose  considered  was  their 
way  of  applauding.  (When  we  listen  to  many  public 
speakers  at  the  present  day,  who  are  inflated  with  their 
own  egotism,  who  can  help  thinking  that  the  mantle  of 
Appenose  must  have  lighted  upon  their  shoulders). 

When  these  Indians  were  in  Washington  they  were 
taken  to  the  theatre,  when  Forrest,  the  great  tragedian,  was 
performing.  In  an  exciting  scene  where  the  gladiators 
engage  in  deadly  combat,  the  red  men  gazed  at  the  scene 
with  eager  and  breathless  anxiety,  and  as  Forrest  finally 
fell  dying,  pierced  in  the  breast  with  his  adversary's  sword, 
which  was  pulled  from  him  all  bloody,  while  the  curtain 
fell  on  his  dying  agonies;  the  whole  Indian  company  burst 
forth  simultaneously  with  a  terriffic  war  whoop.  This 
excited  much  terror,  women  and  children  uttering  shriek 
after  shriek  at  the  unaccustomed  sound. 

The  delegation  having  been  received  with  "eclat"  in 
every  city  they  visited,  returned  to  their  homes  loaded 
with  handsome  presents,  and  many  and  long  were  the 
stories  told  around  the  camp-fires,  of  the  glory  and  splen- 
dor of  their  visit  east.  It  also  had  a  good  effect  in  show- 
ing the  Indians  the  vast  possessions  and  resources  of  the 
Government,  with  whom  they  had  been  contending  so 
long,  and  made  them  respect  their  white  neighbors  who 
were  under  its  protection.  The  name  Hawkeyes,  was 
taken  from  the  old  Chief,  and  was  first  applied  to  the 
natives  of  Iowa,  by  a  paper  published  at  Ft.  Madison,  at 
an  early  day. 


40  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

We  glean  the  following,  as  pertaining  to  one  of  the 
causes  of  the  trouble  between  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe,  and 
the  Sioux: 

A  Sioux  Indian  married  a  Fox  woman,  whose  broth- 
er was  the  fierce  and  warlike  Chief,  Morgan.  After  a 
time,  life  away  from  his  own  people  lost  its  charm  for  the 
Sioux,  and  he  returned  home,  leaving  his  wife  behind  him, 
but  taking  a  pony  belonging  to  her.  Morgan  sent  a  mes- 
senger to  the  Chief  of  the  band,  saying  his  sister's  horse 
must  be  returned;  if  not,  he  would  go  to  the  Sioux  coun- 
try and  forcibly  take  the  horse,  and  perhaps  more  than 
that.  The  Sioux  Chief  replied  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
matter,  Morgan  might  come  and  see  for  himself,  and  as 
to  him  taking  more  than  the  pony,  he  would  take  particu- 
lar pains  to  prevent  him  doing  so.  A  short  time  after  this 
Morgan  went  on  the  war  path  against  the  Sioux,  and  a 
great  number  were  killed,  as  well  as  several  white  families 
murdered.  (Three  men  now  in  the  Indian  camp  at  Tama 
bear  the  name  of  Morgan.  They  may  be  descendants  of 
this  noted  Chief,  or  have  merely  adopted  his  name,  as  it  is 
customary  when  taking  a  name,  or  rather  an  English 
name,  for  the  Indians  to  choose  that  which  pleases  them 
best,  whether  they  have  any  right  to  it  or  not). 

An  incident  with  reference  to  the  Sioux,  and  securing 
peace  relations  with  them,  which  was  thought  advisable 
by  the  Government,  if  it  could  be  accomplished,  occurred 
at  a  council  held  in  Washington  for  that  purpose.  The 
Sioux  declared  that  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  had  crooked 
tongues;  were  cruel  and  treacherous  and  did  not  speak 
the  truth.  «  My  father,"  (Mita-ay-te-ya-pi)  said  one  of  the 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  4! 

orators,  "These  people  can  hear  no  good  words,  unless 
you  bore  their  ears  with  sticks.  We  have  made  peace 
with  them,  but  they  will  have  no  peace.  I  would  as  soon 
make  a  treaty  with  a  child,  as  with  a  Sauk,  or  Musquakie. 
Henanna.  (That  is  all)." 

Keokuk  immediately  arose,  his  face  flushing  with  an- 
ger, even  through  his  swarthy  skin:  "They  say  our  ears 
must  be  bored  with  sticks.  My  father,  only  hot  iron 
would  pierce  their  thick  skulls.  When  they  make  war  on 
us  they  find  us  men.  They  say  peace  was  made  and  we 
have  broken  it,  then  why  have  so  many  of  their  warriors 
been  killed  in  our  country?  They  come  to  fight  us,  we 
have  not  gone  forth  to  fight  them.  We  have  their  scalps, 
and  we  know  how  we  got  them." 

Amid  the  grunts  of  approval  from  his  braves,  Keo- 
kuk took  his  seat,  giving  only  one  scornful  glance  at  the 
discomfitted  look  that  was  plainly  manifest,  even  upon  the 
stolid  faces  of  the  Sioux;  and  with  this  feeling  between 
the  two  parties,  as  may  be  supposed,  their  future  "peace" 
relations  were  not  all  that  could  be  desired. 

A  fight  occurred  between  the  Musquakie  band,  loca- 
ted in  Tama  county,  and  the  Sioux,  in  1852.  This  took 
place  on  the  west  side  of  the  Des  Moines  river.  A  party 
of  Musquakies,  under  a  sub-Chief,  Ko-ko-wah,  secreted 
themselves  near  the  Sioux  camp,  and  when  a  number  of 
the  braves  had  gone  out  on  hunting  and  trapping  expe- 
ditions, fell  upon  the  camp,  who  thus  taken  by  surprise, 
though  they  fought  desperately,  could  not  overcome  their 
assailants.  Sixteen  were  killed,  and  a  boy  of  fourteen 
taken  captive.  Three  Sacs  who  were  with  the  party  were 


42  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

killed,  and  one  Musquakie,  who  was  shot  by  a  Sioux 
squaw.  Crowned  with  glory,  the  victors  hurriedly 
buried  their  dead  and  took  the  homeward  trail,  well  sat- 
isfied with  the  result  of  the  expedition.  Upon  their  arrival 
at  the  camp  there  was  great  rejoicing,  and  the  victor}'  was 
celebrated  by  a  feast  and  dance,  and  round  the  camp-fire 
the  braves  flourished  their  war  club,  and  their  hideous 
war  cry  rang  out  into  the  night,  as  they  described  the 
way  in  which  their  victims  had  fallen. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Keokuk— The  Sioux  Camp— The  Missionary— Last  Treaty  Made- 
White  Woman  in  Camp— Powesheik  and  Other  Chiefs — An 
Indian  Hero. 

Of  later  years,  the  only  Chief  since  Black  Hawk,  of 
the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe,  who  has  risen  to  any  eminence,  is 
Keokuk.  While  bold  and  daring,  he  seems  to  have  pos- 
sessed a  considerable  amount  of  diplomacy.  He  loved  to 
robe  himself  in  savage  magnificence,  and  when  with  twen- 
ty or  thirty  braves  similarly  clad,  he  rode  forth  to  some 
important  council;  the  cavalcade  resembled  that  of  some 
savage  monarch  of  olden  time,  with  his  retinue  around 
him.  The  ponies  loaded  with  gilded  trappings,  and  the 
spears  of  the  warriors  glittering  in  the  sunlight,  with  the 
dark  forest  trees  for  a  back  ground,  made  a  picture  at 
once  weird  and  beautiful. 

From  the  many  incidents  related  of  Keokuk,  and 
many  of  the  sub-Chiefs,  mostly  given  from  the  personal 
recollection  of  others,  we  present  a  few  only.  To  illus- 
trate the  daring  of  the  Chief: 

While  on  a  hunting  expedition  Keokuk  heard  that  a 
band  of  Sioux  intended  falling  on  his  camp  during  his  ab- 
sence. At  this  time,  owing  to  some  agreement  made  be- 
tween them,  they  were  supposed  friendly  to  the  Sacs.  On 
his  fleet  pony  and  quite  unattended,  Keokuk  rode  back, 
and  right  into  the  camp  of  the  Sioux,  where  he  saw  prep- 
arations being  made  for  the  fight. 


44 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 


Boldly  he  said  to  the  Sioux  Chief,  "I  heard  you 
would  fall  upon  my  camp,  and  take  scalps  in  my  absence, 
but  I  said,  it  is  lies.  You  have  eaten  my  bread,  you  have 
shook  me  by  the  hand,  you  could  not  do  this.'1 

Seeing  only  ominous  looks,  and  no  denial  being  giv- 
en, he  exclaimed:  "Then  if  it  is  not  lies,  come,  the  Sacs 
are  ready  for  you,"  and  rode  out  of  the  camp  with  the 
fleetness  of  the  wind.  The  attack  was  not  made. 

A  story  is  told  of  a  missionary  who  went  at  one  time 
where  there  was  a  large  encampment  of  Indians  under 
Keokuk,  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Red  Rock,  claim- 
ing to  have  been  sent  by  the  Government  to  labor  among 
them;  and  soon  after  this  he  began  preaching  to  them. 
One  day,  the  service  being  held  in  a  trading  house,  the 
preacher  related  the  story  of  the  cross,  and  exhorted  his 
hearers  to  repentance.  One  of  the  Indians  interrupted 
him,  and  asked,  "Who  killed  the  son  of  God?  was  it  white 
man,  or  Indian?"  "White  man,"  said  the  preacher,  who 
could  not  evade  the  question.  "Then  let  the  white  man 
repent,"  said  the  Indian.  "If  God  had  sent  His  son  to  the 
Indians,  they  would  not  have  killed  him." 

Another  time  the  missionary  told  them  if  they  repent- 
ed of  their  sins,  and  believed  in  God,  after  they  died 
they  would  go  to  a  land  flowing  "with  milk  and 
honey."  Keokuk,  who  had  no  faith  in  such  a  promise, 
and  took  it  in  a  literal  sense  only,  was  disposed  to  ridicule 
the  idea,  and  exclaimed,  "I  do  not  like  milk  and  honey, 
but  if  you  will  take  me  to  a  country  where  there  is  plenty 
of  corn  and  whisky,  I  am  ready  to  go,  any  time." 

Keokuk  had  once  an  interview,  by  appointment,  with 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  45 

Joe  Smith,  the  Mormon  leader,  or  prophet.  Whether  he 
was  endeavoring  to  convert  the  Indian  to  Mormonism,  or 
not,  is  not  known.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  he  sought 
their  protection  only,  in  case  of  need. 

Frequent  treaties  had  been  made  by  the  Government 
with  the  Indians,  who  had  thus  disposed  of  a  large  portion 
of  their  land.  The  terms  of  these  treaties  and  their  date, 
is  well  known  to  the  general  reader,  and  may  be  found  in 
any  early  history  of  Iowa: 

From  the  address  of  Hon.  C.  C.  Nourse,  in  Philadel- 
phia, in  1 8/6,  the  following  is  quoted,  referring  to  the  last 
treaty  made  with  the  Indians,  whereby  certain  remaining 
portions  of  land  were  ceded  to  the  United  States: 

"In  obedience  to  our  progressive  and  aggressive 
spirit,  the  Government  of  the  United  States  made  another 
treaty  with  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians,  on  the  nth  day  of 
August  1842,  for  the  remaining  portion  of  their  lands  in 
Iowa.  These  tribes  at  this  time  had  their  principal  village 
at  Ot-tum-wah-no.  now  Ottumwa." 

"As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  the  treaty  had  been 
concluded,  there  was  a  rush  of  immigration  to  Iowa,  and 
a  great  number  of  temporary  settlements  were  made  near 
the  Indian  boundary,  waiting  for  the  first  day  of  May,  the 
day  for  the  treaty  to  come  into  effect.  As  the  day  ap- 
proached, hundreds  of  families  encamped  along  the  line, 
and  their  tents  and  wagons  gave  the  scene  the  appearance 
of  a  military  expedition.  On  the  night  of  the  3Oth  of 
April,  when  the  hour  of  midnight  arrived,  it  was  ushered 
in  by  the  discharge  of  fire-arms.  Between  midnight  on 
the  3Oth  of  April,  and  sun  down  on  the  ist  of  May, 


46  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

over  one  thousand  families  had  settled  on  this  new  pur- 
chase. 

"While  this  scene  was  transpiring,  the  retreating  In- 
dian was  enacting  one  more  impressive  and  melancholy. 
The  winter  of  1842-3,  was  one  of  unusual  severity,  and 
the  Indian  prophet,  who  had  disapproved  of  the  treaty, 
attributed  the  severity  of  the  winter  to  the  anger  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  because  they  had  sold  their  country.  Many 
religious  rites  were  performed  to  atone  for  the  crime. 
When  the  time  for  leaving  Ot-tum-wah-no  arrived,  a  sol- 
emn stillness  pervaded  the  Indian  camp,  and  the  faces  of 
the  stoutest  men  were  bathed  in  tears,  and  when  their  cav- 
alcade was  put  in  motion  toward  the  setting  sun,  there 
was  a  spontaneous  outburst  of  frantic  grief,  from  the  en- 
tire procession.  The  Indians  remained  the  appointed  time 
beyond  the  line,  that  was  until  October,  1845,  when  the 
same  scene  as  before  was  re-enacted." 

At  one  time  it  was  reported  that  a  white  woman  was 
seen  at  an  Indan  camp.  A  hue  and  cry  was  raised.  She 
was  supposed  to  have  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians, 
and  the  nearest  white  settlements  were  roused  to  interfere 
in  the  matter,  and  marched  in  a  body  to  the  camp.  Here 
they  held  a  parley  with  the  Indians,  and  after  many  threats 
on  both  sides,  the  white  woman  was  placed  in  a  position 
just  between,  and  at  an  equal  distance,  from  the  two  con- 
tending parties,  and  the  choice  was  then  given  her  to  choose 
between  them.  This  she  promptly  did  by  returning  to 
her  Indian  friends.  Undoubtedly  her  white  brethren  were 
overwhelmed  with  surprise,  as  well  as  mortification,  at 
such  an  unlocked  for  proceeding,  and  concluded  on  their 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  47 

journey  homeward,  (as  it  is  always  a  wise  thing  to  con- 
clude,) that  it  does  not  pay  to  interfere  in  what  does  not 
concern  you. 

About  the  year  1849,  seven  to  eight  hundred  Indians 
came  back  to  Iowa,  under  the  leadership  of  Powesheik, 
and  two  other  Chiefs,  and  settled  north  of  the  Iowa  river. 
A  panic  ensued  among  the  settlers  in  Iowa,  Tama  and 
Benton  counties,  who  begged  for  protection.  Companies 
of  soldiers  being  sent  for  this  purpose,  it  so  excited  the 
fears  of  the  Indians,  that  they  fled  in  terror,  and  were  not 
again  seen  in  the  vicinity  for  nearly  a  year. 

Personal  recollections  of  Powesheik,  and  his  sub- 
Chief,  are  afforded  by  Col.  Trowbridge,  of  Iowa  City,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Johnson  county,  who  has  often  vis- 
ited the  camp  of  this  noted  Chief,  and  was  well  acquaint- 
ed with  him: 

"Powesheik  was  of  large  size,  his  weight  about  250 
pounds.  He  was  fat,  lazy  and  drunken,  whenever  he 
could  get  whisky,  and  that  was  frequently;  but  he  was 
also  honest,  brave  and  good.  His  word  was  sacred.  A 
gift  was  also  a  sacred  thing,  long  to  be  remembered  with 
gratitude.  He  was  slow  to  arouse  to  active  work,  but 
when  fully  aroused  was  a  man  of  energy  and  power,  while 
the  stimulus  that  aroused  him  remained.  His  leading 
qualities  were  truthfulness,  and  a  sense  of  justice.  All  in 
all,  he  was  a  noble  specimen  of  the  American  savage.  He 
was  Chief  of  the  tribe  in  1837. 

"  Wa-pa-shie-shuk,  the  second  Chief,  was  tall  and  thin, 
and  in  character  inclined  to  justice  and  sobriety.  Kish-ke- 
kosh,  was  a  prominent  Indian,  and  was  war  leader.  He 


48  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

was  a  remarkable  man,  tall,  straight  and  active,  a  swift 
runner  and  of  great  muscular  power.  He  was  of  sober 
habits,  and  a  fluent  and  eloquent  orator,  but  in  character, 
was  cunning,  treacherous,  dishonest  and  a  liar.  These 
were  the  leading  men  among  the  Indians  at  that  time." 

Hard-fish,  or  Wish-e-co-maque,  was  a  prominent  man 
among  the  tribe  after  their  removal  to  Iowa,  and  after  the 
death  of  Black  Hawk  he  gathered  a  few  of  the  old  Chief's 
followers  around  him.  These  were  all  Sacs.  The  village 
of  Hard-fish  was  on  the  Des  Moines  river. 

Pash-e-pa-pa-ho,  another  Chief,  at  one  time  planned 
an  attack  on  Ft.  Madison,  but  a  squaw  gave  warning  of 
the  intended  attack,  and  the  commander  of  the  Fort  took 
precautions  to  successfully  avert  it. 

A  party  of  Pash-e-pa-pa-ho's  braves  once  met  a  par- 
ty of  Sioux  out  on  a  hunt,  and  fell  upon  them,  killing  a 
number  and  taking  their  scalps.  The  Sioux  Chief  com- 
plained to  the  Indian  Department,  and  Pash-e-pa-pa-ho 
was  obliged  to  give  up  the  aggressors,  who  were  confined 
at  Ft.  Madison.  The  prisoners  had  plenty  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  had  a  good  time  generally.  They  were  after- 
ward released  on  paying  to  the  Sioux  a  certain  amount 
of  money;  but  Pash-e-pa-pa-ho,  being  a  shrewd  and  far- 
seeing  old  fellow,  concluded  to  profit  by  this  incident,  and 
save  himself  the  trouble  of  laying  in  any  winter  supplies. 
He  went  to  the  commander  of  the  Fort,  and  said  he  had 
taken  a  Sioux  scalp,  but  he  was  willing  to  be  punished. 
He  knew  he  had  done  very  wrong,  but  he  would  not  give 
the  Great  Father  the  trouble  to  send  the  soldiers  after  him, 
he  came  to  give  himself  up  as  a  prisoner. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  49 

The  commander,  who  did  not  appreciate  these  lofty 
sentiments,  saw  through  the  scheming  story,  that  the  In- 
dian's object  was  to  secure  comfortable  quarters  for  the 
winter;  told  him  he  was  very  honorable,  but  when  the 
Great  Father  wanted  to  arrest,  him  he  would  send  and 
have  it  done.  So  the  object  of  the  old  man  was  unsuc- 
cessful. 

A  fierce  battle  with  the  Sioux  was  fought  at  one 
time  about  six  miles  north  of  where  Marengo  now 
stands.  Large  numbers  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  were 
killed.  An  Indian  and  his  son  hid  on  the  field  near  some 
dead  bodies,  and  when  the  Sioux  were  busy  looking  for 
plunder  and  scalps,  they  suddenly  arose  and  discharged 
their  firearms  at  them.  The  Sioux,  who  supposed  that 
the  dead  were  rising  against  them,  were  struck  with  a 
panic  of  superstitious  fear,  and  fled  in  terror,  and  when 
the  Indian  and  his  son  returned  to  their  people,  he  told 
the  story  to  suit  himself,  saying  he  had  been  in  the  midst 
of  the  battle,  the  balls  of  the  enemy  whistling  around  his 
head,  several  of  which  he  had  caught,  both  in  his  hands 
and  mouth,  and  henceforth  would  never  again  be  afraid  of 
the  enemy,  even  if  they  came  in  large  numbers,  while  his 
son  corroborated  the  statement  made. 

How  easy  it  is  to  become  a  hero,  when  only  one  is 
left  to  tell  the  tale.  As  usual  with  heroes,  he  was  feasted 
and  flattered;  waited  upon  with  deference  by  the  others, 
and  not  required  to  hunt,  or  trap,  or  do  work  of  any  kind. 
The  Indians  said  the  Great  Spirit  had  suddenly  turned 
him  from  a  common  man  into  a  great  warrior.  But  in  a 
short  time  another  fight  occurred  with  the  Sioux,  and  this 


5O  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

would  be  hero  and  his  son,  were  among  the  first  to  fall. 
About  this  time  fortifications  were  built  by  the  Indians 
(Sacs  and  Foxes)  within  a  few  miles  of  the  present  site  of 
Iowa  City.  They  were  built  as  a  stockade,  with  pickets, 
etc.,  and  their  site  is  noticeable  at  the  present  time.  But 
all  around  what  a  change.  The  wild  land  has  developed 
into  the  cultivated  farm,  and  the  former  haunts  of  the  red 
man,  now  re-echo  the  footsteps  of  the  white. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Shawnees— Tradition— I-am-oi  -  Wis-u-ka  —  The  Flood  —  Divided 
into  Clans — Mi-a-shaum — Ceremony  and  Ordinance — Sacred 
Songs. 

Among  the  early  tribes  the  Shawnees,  or  Shawanoes, 
claim  to  be  the  first,  or  original  tribe,  and  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  assert  that  they  are  of  the  same  stock  as  them- 
selves, and  in  many  of  their  historical  traditions  the  acts  of 
the  Shawanoes  are  mentioned.  They  are  represented  as  a 
warlike  and  courageous  people,  and  in  their  own  opinion 
were  the  superior  even  of  the  whites,  who  sprang  from 
them.  One  of  their  old  traditions  thus  reads: 

"  The  Master  of  Life  was  an  Indian,  and  he  made  the 
Shawanoes  before  any  other  of  the  human  race;  they 
sprang  from  His  brain;  He  gave  them  all  the  knowledge 
He  Himself  possessed,  and  placed  them  upon  the  earth,  so 
that  all  other  tribes  are  descendents  of  the  Shawanoes. 
He  then  made  the  French  and  the  English  out  of  His 
breast;  and  the  Dutch  out  of  His  feet,  and  placed  these 
inferior  races,  who  were  white,  beyond  the  great  water. 

"The  Shawanoes  for  many  ages  continued  to  be  mas- 
ters of  the  continent,  using  the  knowledge  they  had  re- 
ceived from  the  Great  Spirit  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be 
pleasing  to  Him,  and  to  secure  their  own  happiness.  In  a 
great  length  of  time,  however,  they  became  corrupt,  and 


52  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

the  Master  of  Life  told  them  that  He  would  take  from 
them  the  knowledge  which  they  possessed,  and  give  it  to 
the  white  people,  to  be  restored  when,  by  a  return  of  good 
principles,  they  would  deserve  it.  Many  ages  after  that 
they  saw  something  white  approaching  their  shores;  at 
first  they  took  it  for  a  great  bird,  but  they  soon  found  it 
to  be  a  monstrous  canoe,  filled  with  the  very  people  who 
had  got  the  knowledge  which  belonged  to  the  Shawanoes. 
After  these  white  people  landed,  they  were  not  content 
with  the  knowledge  of  the  Shawanoes,  but  they  usurped 
the  land  also.  But  these  things  must  some  day  have  an 
end,  and  the  Master  of  Life  will  restore  to  the  Shawanoes 
their  rights." 

This  tradition,  copied  from  an  old  history,  is  given,  as 
these  people  are  said  to  be  remotely  connected  with  the 
tribe  of  whom  we  write.  We  are  not  tracing  up  their 
geneological  tree,  but  present  the  idea  as  it  is  found  else- 
where. The  tradition  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe  goes  back 
almost  to  the  creation.  It  is  on  tradition  alone  that  theh 
religious  belief  is  founded,  as  well  as  the  manner  01 
conducting  and  observing  all  religious  ordinances.  The 
following  account  of  it  has  been  taken  from  Dr.  Isaac 
Galland's  "  Chronicles  of  the  North  American  Savages:" 

"In  the  beginning  the  Gods  created  every  living  be- 
ing, which  was  intended  to  have  life,  upon  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth,  and  then  were  formed  every  species  of  living 
animal.  After  this  the  Gods  also  formed  man,  whom 
they  perceived  to  be  both  cruel  and  foolish;  they  then  put 
into  man  the  heart  of  the  best  beast  they  had  created;  but 
they  saw  that  man  still  continued  cruel  and  foolish.  After 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  53 

thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Almighty  took  a  piece  of 
Himself  of  which  he  made  a  heart  for  the  man,  and  when 
the  man  received  it,  he  immediately  became  wise,  above 
every  other  animal  on  the  earth. 

"In  the  early  ages  of  the  world  the  earth  was  inhab- 
ited by  innumerable  multitudes  of  I-am-oi,  and  hosts  of 
gods  who  also  inhabited  the  air,  the  earth,  and  under  the 
seas.  And  the  gods  whose  habitations  are  under  the  seas, 
made  war  against  Wis-uk-a  aud  his  wonderful  host,  and, 
therefore,  summoned  a  great  council  to  assemble  upon  the 
earth. 

"  When  this  vast  assembly  of  I-am-oi,  (giants)  and 
gods  from  under  the  seas  had  convened  upon  the  earth, 
after  debate  and  long  consultation,  they  resolved  to  make 
a  great  feast  upon  this  earth,  and  to  invite  Wis-uk-a  to  it, 
that  they  might  in  this  manner  ensnare  him,  and  put  him 
to  death. 

"  But  when  the  council  had  concluded  their  delibera- 
'ion,  and  appointed  a  messenger  to  wait  upon  Wis-uk-a, 
and  to  invite  him  to  the  great  feast,  which  they  were  pre- 
paring for  him,  behold!  the  younger  brother  of  Wis-uk-a 
was  discovered  in  the  rnidst  of  the  council,  and  the  whole 
assembly  being  thrown  into  confusion  on  perceiving  that 
their  stratagem  was  exposed,  they  said  unto  him,  where  is 
thy  brother  Wis-uk-a?  Answering,  he  said  unto  them,  "I 
know  not,  am  I  my  brother's  keeper?"  The  council  being 
sorely  vexed,  in  their  anger  the  multitude  rushed  violently 
upon  the  younger  brother  and  slew  him. 

"Now  when  Wis-uk-a  heard  of  the  murder  of 
his  younger  brother,  he  was  extremely  sorrowful,  and 


54  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

\vept  aloud;  and  the  gods  of  the  air,  whose  habitations 
were  above  the  clouds,  heard  his  war  song,  and  formed  a 
league  with  him,  to  avenge  the  blood  of  his  brother.  The 
lower  gods  had  at  this  time  retreated  from  the  face 
of  the  earth,  and  fled  to  their  own  habitations  under 

*  i 

the  seas,  leaving  the  I-am-oi  alone  to  defend  themselves 
against  Wis-uk-a  and  his  allies.  Now  the  scene  of  battle 
where  Wis-uk-a  and  his  allies  fought  the  I-am-oi,  was  in  a 
flame  of  fire,  and  the  whole  race  of  the  I-am-oi  were  des- 
stroyed  with  a  great  slaughter,  that  there  was  not  one  left 
on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

"When  the  gods  under  the  sea  knew  the  dreadful 
fate  which  had  befallen  their  I-am-oi  allies,  whom  they  had 
deserted,  they  were  in  great  fear  and  cried  aloud  to  Na- 
nem-ika  to  come  to  their  assistance.  Na-nem-ika  hearing 
their  war  song,  accepted  their  invitation,  and  sent  Na-tin- 
tess-sa  to  Pap-oan-a-tess-sa,  to  invite  him  to  come  with  all 
his  dreadful  host  of  frost,  snow,  hail,  ice,  and  the  north 
wind,  to  their  relief. 

"  When  this  destroying  army,  therefore,  came  from  the 
north,  they  smote  the  whole  earth  with  frost,  converting 
the  waters  of  every  river,  lake  and  sea,  into  solid  masses 
of  ice,  and  covering  the  whole  earth  with  an  immense 
sheet  of  snow  and  hail;  and  thus  perished  all  the  first  in- 
habitants of  the  earth,  both  men,  beasts  and  gods,  except 
a  few  choice  ones  of  each  kind,  which  Wis-uk-a  preserved 
with  himself  upon  the  earth. 

"Again  the  gods  under  the  sea  carne  forth  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  when  they  saw  that  Wis-uk-a  was 
almost  alone  upon  the  earth,  they  rejoiced  in  hope  of  being 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  55 

able  to  destroy  him,  and  to  take  possession  of  his  county. 
But  when  all  their  schemes  were  exhausted,  and  every 
plan  and  effort  had  been  exerted  in  vain,  because  all  their 
councils  and  designs  had  been  known  to  Wis-uk-a  as  soon 
as  they  were  formed,  becoming  mad,  and  in  despair  of 
success,  they  resolved  to  ruin  the  whole  face  of  the  earth, 
which  they  so  much  desired  to  inhabit;  determined  if  they 
could  not  enjoy  it  themselves,  that  they  would  render  it 
unfit  for  the  habitation  of  others.  To  this  end  they  retired 
again  to  their  former  habitation  under  the  sea,  and  entreat- 
ed Al-em-ik-a  to  drown  the  whole  surface  of  the  earth 
with  a  flood. 

"Al-em-ik-a  heard  their  war  song,  and  listened  to 
their  entreaties;  and  calling  all  the  clouds  to  gather  them- 
selves together,  they  obeyed  his  voice  and  came;  and  when 
the  clouds  were  assembled,  he  commanded  them  and  they 
poured  down  water  upon  the  earth,  a  tremendous  torrent, 
until  the  whole  surface  of  the  earth,  and  even  the  tops  of 
the  highest  mountains  were  covered  with  water.  But 
when  Wis-uk-a  saw  the  water  coming  upon  the  earth,  he 
took  some  of  the  air  and  made  O-pes-kwe,  (an  enormous 
bubble,  which  the  water  could  not  enter,)  and  getting  into 
it  himself,  he  took  with  him  all  sorts  of  living  animals  and 
a  man;  and  when  the  water  rose  upon  the  earth  the  O-pes- 
kwe  was  lifted  up,  and  floated  upon  the  surface  until  the 
tops  of  the  highest  mountains  were  covered  with  the 
flood. 

"  When  Wis-uk-a  and  those  who  were  with  him  in 
the  O-pes-kwe,  had  remained  a  long  time  upon  the  surface 
of  the  great  flood,  he  called  one  of  the  animals  which  was 


56  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

with  him,  and  commanded  it  to  descend  through  the  water 
to  the  earth,  and  to  bring  them  some  earth.  After  many 
unsuccessful  efforts,  and  the  loss  of  life  in  repeated  instan- 
ces, one  of  the  amphibious  race  at  length  floated  to  the 
surface  of  the  water,  and  although  life  had  become  extinct, 
still  on  examination  some  earth  was  found  in  its  mouth, 
of  which,  when  Wis-uk-a  received  it,  he  formed  this  earth, 
and  spreading  forth  this  continent  upon  the  surface  of  the 
watery  waste,  he  went  forth  himself,  and  all  that  were 
with  him  in  the  O-pes-kwe,  and  occupied  the  dry  land. 

"When  all  the  men,  women,  and  living  creatures  had 
gone  forth  from  the  O-pes-kwe  upon  the  new  earth,  Wis- 
uk-a  assembled  the  people  together  and  said  to  them: 
Behold,  I  have  this  day  divided  you  into  two  bands,  and 
each  band  into  six  clans.  The  first  band  shall  be  called 
the  Oke-mau-uk,  (chieftains,)  and  shall  be  divided  into  the 
following  six  clans:  The  first  shall  be  Pau-kau-hau-moi; 
second,  Na-ma-oi,  (sturgeon);  third,  Make-e-sis,  Beagle); 
fourth,  Kit-che-kom-a,  (the  great  water);  fifth,  Muk-quok, 
(bear);  sixth,  Al-lem-i-ke,  (thunder). 

"  These  alone  shall  have  the  care  and  keeping  of  the 
Mi-a-shaum,  a  most  holy  thing  which  1  will  give  to  them 
in  charge,  and  they  shall  keep  it  and  carry  it  with  them 
whithersoever  they  go;  and  which  shall  be  transmitted 
from  the  fathers  to  their  eldest  sons,  through  all  future 
generations. 

"The  second  band  shall  be  called  Us-kaup-pa,  and 
Man-ith-aum-uk-a,  and  shall  also  be  divided  into  six  clans, 
as  follows:  First,  Ne-pe,  (water);  second,  Pus-a-kis-a, 
(deer);  third,  Muk-quoh-pen-e-ak,  (bear  potato);  fourth, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  57 

Pok-keo,  (pheasant);  fifth,  Mo-whah,  (wolf ) ;  sixth,  Wau- 
koos,  (fox). 

"  From  among  these  ye  shall  chose  out  the  Mam-ish- 
aum-uk-a,  who  shall  officiate  before  me,  in  all  holy  things, 
at  all  your  feasts  and  sacrifices,  and  they  alone  shall  exer- 
cise this  most  sacred  function  through  all  your  generations 
forever.  But  ye  shall  not  make  them  your  servants,  be- 
cause they  are  your  brothers,  and  shall  only  be  my  ser- 
vants for  you  in  the  feasts  and  sacrifices. 

"And  whenever  hereafter  ye  shall  make  a  sacred  feast 
to  the  memory  of  Wis-uk-a,  and  sacrifice  unto  Mona-to- 
cusha,  (Merciful  God,)  according  to  the  ordinance  of  the 
feast  and  sacrifice,  ye  shall  sing  the  sacred  song,  appoint- 
ed for  the  clan,  to  which  the  master  of  the  feast  belongs." 

Wis-uk-a  spoke  again  to  the  people  and  said: 

"After  this  manner  ye  shall  make  sacrifice  to  Mona- 
to-cusha,  and  observe  a  feast  in  memory  of  Wis-uk-a, 
through  all  your  generations  hereafter.  When  any  one 
belonging  to  your  tribe  shall  determine  to  observe  this 
sacred  ordinance,  after  providing  a  clean  animal  for  his 
feast,  he  shall  first  send  forth  from  his  dwelling,  his  women 
and  children,  and  shall  then  call  in  his  priests,  one  of  whom 
he  shall  send  out  to  call  a  few  of  his  clan  to  the  feast,  and 
when  these  shall  have  come  into  the  lodge,  and  the  Mam- 
ish-aum-uk  (priest)  having  returned,  he  shall  command 
him  to  kill  the  victim  which  he  has  provided  for  the  sacri- 
fice, and  also  to  cook,  prepare  and  arrange  the  feast. 

"  Then  he  shall  bring  forth  his  Mi-a-shaum,  and  shall 
open  it  in  the  presence  of  his  companions.  The  Mam-ish- 
aum-uk,  or  priest,  shall  then  bring  into  the  lodge  the  vie- 


58  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

tim  slain  for  the  sacrifice,  and  lay  it  before  the  Mi-a-shaum, 
and  shall  take  some  incense  (tobacco,)  from  the  Mi-a- 
shaum,  and  dividing  it  into  five  parcels,  he  shall  tie  to  each 
leg  a  parcel,  and  one  parcel  to  the  neck,  and  being  appro- 
priately painted  it  shall  remain  before  the  feast  fire 
until  the  close  of  the  feast. 

"The  master  of  the  feast  shall  then  take  some  incense 
from  the  Mi-a-shaum,  and  cast  it  into  the  feast  fire,  in 
order  to  make  a  sweet  savory  perfume  unto  Mona-to- 
cusha.  He  shall  also  make  two  holes  in  the  earth,  one  at 
each  end  of  the  fire,  and  into  these  holes  he  shall  cast  to- 
bacco and  fire  to  make  the  earth  smoke.  And  having 

o 

done  this,  he  shall  then  speak  to  the  Great  Spirit  thus: 

"  Oh,  Thou  who  hast  made  all  things,  both  upon  the 
earth,  and  in  the  sea,  and  also  under  the  sea.  It  is  unto 
thee  that  I  have  fasted  and  cried;  the  trees  of  the  forest 
have  witnessed  my  sorrow  and  affliction;  and  I  trust  that 
the  mountain's  echo  has  borne  my  supplications  to  Thine 
ears.  This  feast  which  I  have. prepared  is  in  memory  of 
Thee,  and  Wis-uk-a;  accept,  therefore,  in  this  victim,  my 
best  beast,  the  animal  most  admired  by  me,  and  the  special 
favorite  of  my  family.  In  offering  it  to  Thee  in  sacrifice, 
I  follow  the  ordinance  of  Wis-u-ka.  Grant  me  this  favor, 
that  I  may  live  long  upon  the  earth.  Make  me  strong  in 
the  day  of  battle,  and  cause  the  terror  of  my  face  to  spread 
confusion  in  the  ranks,  and  dismay  and  trembling  through 
the  hearts  of  mine  enemies.  Give  me  in  dreams,  a  true 
and  faithful  warning  of  every  approaching  danger,  and 
guard  me  against  all  the  evils  to  come." 

"Then  the  master  of  the  feast  shall  commence  the 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  59 

feast  song,  and  shall  invite  his  companions  to  join  him  in 
singing  the  sacred  song  of  his  clan,  and  they  shall  contin- 
ue to  sing  until  the  meat  provided  for  the  feast  is  thor- 
oughly cooked.  He  shall  then  send  for  all  whom  he 
chooses  to  invite  to  his  feast;  and  when  they  shall  have 
come  into  the  lodge,  the  whole  of  the  animal  shall  be  divi- 
ded into  equal  parts,  according  to  the  number  of  invited 
guests,  who  shall  always  bring  with  them  to  the  feast,  each 
man  his  own  dish,  in  which  the  Us-kaup  shall  serve  the 
meat,  and  he  shall  direct  the  Us-kaup  to  place  the  whole 
head  of  the  festive  animal  upon  the  dish  of  that  man  whom 
he  desires  to  honor,  and  whom  he  esteems  as  the  most  val- 
iant among  his  guests.  When  every  man's  dish,  with  his 
portion  thereon,  has  been  set  before  him,  and  sufficient 
time  has  been  given  for  the  food  to  cool,  the  master  of  the 
feast  shall  give  a  signal  to  the  guests  to  commence  eating; 
each  man  shall  then  devour  his  portion  in  the  shortest  time 
possible.  Meanwhile  the  master  of  the  feast  and  his  priest 
shall  resume  and  continue  to  sing  their  sacred  song,  until  the 
guests  have  consumed  the  food.  And  when  they  have  fin- 
ished eating,  the  Us-kaup  shall  collect  all  the  bones  which 
remain  in  the  dishes  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  or  a 
stream  of  running  water,  that  the  dogs  defile  them  not." 

The  feast  being  now  ended,  some  one  of  the  guests 
shall  address  the  assembly  thus: 

"  To  all  who  are  here  assembled  to  participate  in  the 
commemoration  of  Wis-uk-a,  around  this  sacred  food: 
Know  ye,  that  it  is  the  good  will  and  pleasure  of  Wis-uk-a 
that  we  should,  in  this  manner,  celebrate  his  memory  and 
observe  his  holy  ordinance.  Our  worthy  entertainer,  in 


6O  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

whose  lodge  we  have  just  now  feasted,  and  who  is  our 
brother,  has  opened  in  our  presence  his  most  holy  Mi-a- 
shaum,  and  he  and  his  companions  have  sung  in  our  ears 
the  delightful  sacred  song  of  his  forefathers,  which  has 
been  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  since 
the  days  of  Wis-u-ka  to  our  present  respected  brother." 

"In  this  most  holy  Mi-a-shaum  are  not  only  the  sym- 
bols of  all  our  sacred  songs,  but  it  also  contains  all  the  nec- 
essary rules  for  the  government  of  our  lives  and  regula- 
tion of  our  conduct.  Our  duties  to  Mona-to-cusha,  and  to 
each  other,  are  herein  represented  by  signs  prepared  by 
Wis-uk-a  himself,  and  which  have  been  collected  from  the 
purest  and  most  wonderful  portions  of  the  whole  creation. 
Remember,  therefore,  to  teach  your  children  faithfully  to 
observe  all  things  which  are  taught  by  the  sacred  symbols 
of  this  holy  Mi-a-shuam,  that  Mona-to-cusha  may  look  on 
us  with  pleasure,  and  prosper  our  journey  in  the  path  of 
life. 

"The  Mam-ish-aum-uk,  or  priest,  shall  then  take  up 
the  sacrifice  victim  from  before  the  Mi-a-shaum,  and  carry 
it  forth  from  the  lodge  to  some  convenient  place  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  town  or  encampment,  accompanied  by  all 
the  assembly;  there  they  shall  hang  it  up  by  the  neck, 
upon  a  tree  or  pole  painted  red,  with  red  clay,  with  its 
face  looking  toward  the  east.  The  ordinance  of  the  feast 
and  sacrifice  being  in  this  manner  observed  and  accom- 
plished every  man  shall  return  to  his  own  lodge. 

"  Then  Wis-uk-a  called  another  band  and  delivered  to 
the  head  men  of  each  clan  the  holy  Mi-a-shaum  and  charg- 
ed them  as  follows: 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  6 1 

"Keep  this  in  memory  of  gray  antiquity.  This  holy 
depository  contains  the  symbolical  memorial  of  Wis-uk-a, 
his  history  of  the  earth,  and  his  commands  to  the  human 
race.  In  this  sacred  repository  ye  shall  find  the  signs 
which  represent  all  your  duties  to  God,  your  obligations 
to  each  other,  and  a  confident  promise  that  will  assure 
you  of  prosperity  in  this  life,  and  happiness  and  glory  be- 
yond the  dark  forest  of  that  river  which  ye  must  cross 
soon  after  death.  If  ye  will  have  a  due  respect  to  the 
teachings  of  these  sacred  symbols,  and  strictly  observe  the 
sacred  ordinances,  and  do  them,  then  ye  shall  retain  the 
vigor  of  youth  even  to  old  age;  ye  shall  increase  in  the 
land,  and  your  multitudes  shall  cover  the  whole  earth.  Ye 
shall  eat  the  fat  beasts  of  the  forest,  the  fish  of  the  waters, 
and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  ye  shall  be  clothed  with 
warm  garments  of  wool  and  fur  skins.  Your  young  men 
shall  return  victorious  from  the  battle;  your  young  women 
shall  come  in  at  evening  loaded  with  the  rich  fruits  of  the 
earth;  and  at  night  young  children  shall  rejoice  in  the 
dance.  Ye  shall  be  clothed  with  strength  all  the  days  of 
your  lives;  your  faces  shall  be  a  terror  to  your  enemies, 
and  in  the  battle  they  shall  not  be  able  to  stand  before  you. 
Your  lives  shall  be  prolonged  upon  the  earth,  and  when 
ye  die,  you  shall  pass  joyfully  over  that  dreadful  moun- 
tain, and  awful  river,  which  separates  this  earth  from  the 
Spirit  home.  And  ye  shall  be  in  no  danger  of  falling  into 
that  gloomy  gulf,  where  the  wicked  and  disobedient  are 
punished;  but  with  rejoicing  ye  shall  join  your  ancestors, 
(who  observed  these  ordinances),  in  that  happy  land  where 
pleasures  and  glory  are  prepared  for  you,  of  which  you 


62  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

can  now  form  no  correct  estimate,  and  where  sorrows  and 
afflictions  never  shall  come." 

With  reference  to  the  birth  of  a  child,  and  giving  it  a 
name,  the  following  is  on  record: 

"Wis-uk-a  explained  another  symbol  to  the  people 
thus: 

"When  a  son,  or  a  daughter,  is  born,  ye  shall  imme- 
diately have  it  washed  in  a  river,  and  when  it  has  passed 
six  moons  of  its  age,  ye  shall  make  a  feast  for  your  friends, 
and  you  shall  cause  the  name  of  your  child,  if  he  be  a  son, 
to  be  proclaimed  throughout  the  camp." 

"  Also,  another  symbol  taught  the  lesson,  thou  shalt 
not  lie. 

"  Still  others  taught  our  whole  duty  to  Mona-to-cusha, 
to  love  one  another,  to  feast  and  fast;  and  to  follow  faith- 
fully all  the  ordinances  set  forth  in  the  holy  Mi-a-shuam, 
and  taught  by  the  priesthood." 

The  Mi-a-shaum,  or  Indian  Bible,  is  a  small  leathern 
sack,  tied  at  the  opening  with  a  leather  string.  It  contains 
symbols  by  which  certain  lessons  are  taught.  These  are 
stones,  fossils,  petrified  wood,  bones,  skins,  etc.,  which  rep- 
resent a  certain  age  (or  period  of  time,)  and  the  tradition- 
ary history  of  that  age.  There  are  several  Mi-a-shaums, 
a  different  one  for  each  clan,  and  all  teach  different  les- 
sons. 

Each  clan,  or  band,  had  of  old  its  sacred  song;  now 
comparatively  but  a  few  are  used.  The  following  is  called 
the  Bear  song: 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  63 

"  Muh-quoh,  mak-a-moan, 
Au-wah-tus-sa,  ke-skuk-we, 
Mon-na,  e-nau-kut-we." 
Another  in  common  use: 

"Po-ke-o  nak-a-moan, 
Nosh  she-wen-nau, 
Kee-au." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Another  Version  of  the  Flood— Osage  Tradition— Origin  of  Corn 
—Thanksgiving— Joaquin  Miller— Searching  After  Light. 

The  following  version  of  the  flood  is  more  generally 
believed  now: 

"  Long  ago,  when  the  red  men  were  few  upon  the 
land,  there  came  a  great  fall  of  water,  that  continued  for 
two  moons,  and  to  save  themselves  from  being  drowned, 
the  Indians  got  all  the  canoes  together,  and  made  a  big 
raft.  After  praying  to  the  Great  Spirit  to  give  them  His 
protection,  they  embarked  upon  the  water.  After  a  while 
the  rain  ceased,  but  they  had  still  to  wait  until  the  water 
went  down.  A  musk  rat  was  sent  into  the  water,  and 
dropped  to  the  bottom,  but  soon  returned  again,  with  his 
paws  clean,  so  that  they  judged  the  water  was  so  deep  he 
could  not  reach  the  bottom.  This  experiment  was  repeat- 
ed until  the  rat  finally  returned  to  the  top  of  the  water, 
showing  his  paws  all  covered  with  mud,  which  showed 
them  the  water  was  quickly  disappearing  from  the  face  of 
the  earth." 

"  In  the  belief  of  these  Indians  there  is  no  hell.  They 
say  the  Great  Spirit  will  never  inflict  everlasting  punish- 
ment, on  any  being  whom  He  has  made.  The  bad  In- 
dians will  be  punished  after  death,  by  never  being  allowed 
to  enter  the  blessed  land,  where  only  the  good  may  dwell, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  65 

and    where   they   also   believe   no   white   man   can   ever 
come." 

The  names  of  the  clans,  or  bands,  were  taken  from 
the  bird  or  beast  from  which  they  were  supposed  to  have 
first  originated.  In  early  days  the  clan  to  which  an  Indian 
belonged  was  shown  by  the  manner  in  which  his  hair  was 
cut.  At  the  present  day  this  custom  is  no  more  observed. 

The  Osage  Indians  have  a  tradition  that  their  most 
remote  ancestor  was  a  snail,  (and  undoubtedly  there  are 
people  now  who  might  trace  their  genealogy  back  to  the 
same  source,)  who  disported  himself  on  the  banks  of  his 
native  river,  and  dreamed  not  of  the  strange  world  be- 
yond. But  one  day,  a  thought  came  to  him,  to  crawl 
away  into  the  great  unknown,  and  see  if  life  had  anything 
more  to  give  a  snail.  Away  he  went,  and  at  length  found 
himself  on  the  sandy  shores  of  the  Missouri,  hot  tired,  and 
dusty,  he  lay  exhausted,  and  the  rays  of  the  midday  sun 
fell  upon  him,  when  lo!  a  miracle  was  performed  and  the 
snail  changed  into  a  man.  He  did  not  forget  his  former 
home,  and  started  to  go  back  again,  (perhaps  slowly  as  he 
came,  for  he  may  have  possessed  only  the  properties  of  a  hu- 
man snail  after  all).  Becoming  faint  with  hunger  by  the 
way,  the  Great  Spirit  appeared  to  him  and  gave  him  a 
bow  and  arrow,  and  taught  him  how  to  kill  game.  He 
reached  his  destination,  but  found  a  beaver  there, 
who  resented  the  appearance  of  the  stranger,  but  he  finally 
married  the  beaver's  daughter,  and  as  the  novels  say,  lived 
happily  ever  after.  For  many  years  an  Osage  would 
never  kill  a  beaver,  but  when  a  large  trade  was  opened  up 
by  the  fur  companies,  they  came  to  the  conclusion  to  make 


66  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

some   money,   and   sacrificed   their  relatives  to  their  cu- 
pidity. 

The  following  tradition  is  held  as  to  the  origin   of 

corn: 

"Two  Indians  who  had  killed  a  deer, and  were  sitting 
by  a  fire  roasting  some  of  it  to  eat,  were  surprised  on  look- 
ing up  to  behold  a  beautiful  woman  descending  from  the 
clouds,  and  alighting  upon  the  earth.  Concluding  that 
she  was  hungry,  and  had  been  attracted  by  the 
smell  of  the  meat,  they  went  to  her  with  a  piece 
of  the  roasted  Vyenison,  and  presented  it.  After  eat- 
ing she  told  them  to  return  to  the  spot  where  she  was  then 
sitting  at  the  end  of  one  year,  and  they  would  find  a  re- 
ward for  their  kindness.  She  then  ascended  to  the  clouds 
and  disappeared  from  view.  The  two  men  returned  to 
their  village  and  explained  to  the  people  what  they  had 
seen,  and  done,  but  their  story  was  only  ridiculed.  When 
the  period  arrived  for  them  to  again  visit  the  spot,  they 
took  a  large  party  with  them  to  the  consecrated  ground, 
and  found  where  the  woman's  right  hand  had  rested,  corn 
growing,  and  on  the  ground  where  she  had  laid  her  left 
hand  beans,  and  where  she  had  been  sitting  they  found 
tobacco." 

An  Indian  thanksgiving  by  members  of  the  Sac  and 
Fox  tribe,  as  described  by  an  eye  witness  in  the  year  1834, 
will  illustrate  another  important  ceremony: 

"A  couple  of  long  logs  had  been  placed  together,  and 
a  fire  was  burning  between  them,  over  which  was  the  car- 
cass of  a  dog  fastened  to  a  stick,  by  which  it  was  rolled 
from  one  end  of  the  fire  to  the  other,  'till  it  was  well  roast- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  67 

ed,  and  swollen  to  a  rotundity  that  made  it  rather  an  un- 
palatable looking  object, 

"  During  the  roasting  process  the  warriors  sat  in  a  cir- 
cle, around  an  upright  pole;  midway  up  this  pole,  bears 
claws  were  fastened,  also  dogs'  feet,  and  bunches  of  to- 
bacco. At  the  top  was  a  quantity  of  birds'  wings  and 
beaks;  the  whole  was  slowly  burning,  by  the  aid  of  some 
combustible  material.  The  Indians  seemed  to  be  holding 
a  sort  of  conference  meeting  around  this  strange  sacrificial 
altar;  each  brave  rising  with  a  solemn  look  upon  his  face, 
and  speaking  a  few  words  with  all  the  solemnity  of  a  re- 
ligious exercise.  And  their  appearance  was  no  less  re- 
markable than  their  performance.  Each  one  wore  a 
string  of  bears'  and  eagles'  claws  around  their  necks,  and 
had  the  skin  of  polecats  tied  around  their  knees. 

"As  soon  as  these  exercises  were  finished,  they  par- 
took of  the  dog,  and  then  retired  for  the  purpose  of  hold- 
ing a  dance,  for  such  days  were  usually  ended  by  a  per- 
formance of  this  kind.  The  dance  was  performed  in  a 
circle,  each  dancer  following  the  other,, in  a  half  bent  atti- 
tude, keeping  step  to  the  tap  of  the  drum,  and  singing  a 
kind  of  a  chant  or  chorus.  The  steps  were  not  rapid,  or 
intended  to  be  musical,  but  they  were  alternate,  as  in 
walking,  uniform,  as  in  military  marching,  while  each  foot 
was  brought  down  with  a  force  that  sounded  on  the  beat- 
en earth,  like  the  stroke  of  a  sledge  hammer.  The  per- 
formance was  not  unpleasant  to  witness.  In  addition  to  it 
being  an  occasion  of  thanksgiving,  it  was  a  preparation 
day,  for  a  two  or  three  months  hunt;  and  the  sacrifice  was 
intended  to  propitiate  Mani-to,  and  insure  success." 


68  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

The  practice  of  offering  a  sacrifice  is  not  now  engaged 
in  so  frequently  among  these  Indians  as  in  early  years; 
still  they  are  very  rigid  in  their  observance  of  any  rites 
petaining  to  their  religion. 

Joaquin  Miller  thus  writes  in  the  "Shadows  of  Shas- 
ta:" 

"Let  me  state  briefly  apd  frankly  that  the  only  really 
religious,  unquestioning,  and  absolutely  devout  Christians 
in  America,  are  the  Indians.  I  know  of  no  people  so 
faithful,  and  so  blindly  true  to  their  belief,  outside  of  the 
peasantry  of  Italy.  Be  their  beautiful  faith  born  of  igno- 
rance, or  what,  I  do  not  say.  I  simply  assert  that  it  ex- 
ists. There  is  no  devotion  more  trne  than  that  of  an  In- 
dian. May  be  it  is  the  devotion  of  idolatry,  or  the  faith  of 
superstition,  but  I  repeat  it,  it  is  sincere." 

So  the  feasts  and  fasts,  many  of  which  can  be  traced 
to  Jewish  origin,  are  faithfully  observed,  and  while  to  the 
casual  observer  the  rites  of  worship  seem  somewhat  Pagan- 
ish, who  dare  to  say  that  the  motive  that  prompts  them  is 
not  a  good  one?  Many  of  their  rules,  especially  those  re- 
lating to  the  sacrifice  of  a  victim,  and  the  law  of  purifica- 
tion, which  causes  the  person  to  remain  outside  of  the 
camp  until  it  is  accomplished,  can  be  found  laid  down  in 
the  Old  Testament. 

How  curious  is  the  study  of  a  rude  people  searching 
after  light,  their  object  just  the  same  as  civilization,  that  of 
ultimately  securing  their  happiness  in  a  future  state.  As 
Paul  found  altars  inscribed  "to  the  unknown  God,"  so 
humanity  to-day  rears  its  altars,  in  the  same  consciousness, 
or  rather  a  higher  consciousness,  made  more  clear  by  en- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  69 

lightenment,  of  a  future  beyond,  and  an  omnipresent  power, 
greater  and  above  all  earthly  things. 

A  rude  form  of  worship  is  better  than  none  at  all;  a 
crude  belief  better  than  skepticism,  therefore  do  not  des- 
pise that  of  the  Indian,  if  it  be  not  narrowed  down  to  rule 
and  measure,  as  is  yours;  it  is  none  the  less  sincere. 
Though  wrapped  in  superstition,  his  bigotry,  (and  adhe- 
rence to  the  faith  of  his  forefathers),  may  be  no  greater 
than  those  who  have  dwelt  through  a  lifetime  in  the  light 
of  civilization;  undoubtedly  he  may  worship, 

AVith  a  heart  as  sincere  as  do  you, 
Though  his  temple  is  only  the  forest, 

Its  canopy,  heaven's  pure  blue; 
Though  his  altar  has  ever  a  victim, 

And  his  rites  are  all  barbarous  too, 
And  the  forms  and  the  legends  he  heedeth, 

Are  those  that  his  forefathers  knew. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Gradual  Separation  of  the  Tribes  — Sauk-e-nuk— Musquakies— 
Land  Purchased  in  Tama  County —Opposed  to  Progression- 
Stringent  Measures  Adopted. 

There  being  no  further  need  for  the  consolidation  of 
the  tribes,  they  finally  drifted  apart.  The  Sacs  living  by 
themselves  under  separate  Chiefs,  and  having  a  govern- 
ment of  their  own,  invested  in  the  Chiefs  as  before.  Their 
large  and  populous  village  on  Rock  Island,  was  called 
Sauk-e-nuk,  and  though  it  has  long  since  become  a  land 
mark  that  has  been  trodden  out  by  the  march  of  progres- 
sion, the  ancient  watch  tower  of  Black  Hawk  still  remains, 
and  visitors  to  this  historic  spot  may  recall  the  history  of 
the  old  Chief,  and  his  brave  followers,  and  feast  their  eyes 
on  the  picturesque  scenery  that  caused  the  heart,  even  of 
the  savage,  to  thrill  with  delight  at  its  possession,  and 
made  still  more  bitter  the  pang,  when  he  was  forced  to 
give  it  up. 

The  Sacs  were  formerly  called  "Sank,"  the  word  first 
mentioned  being  the  modern  version.  So  the  Foxes  are 
known  by  the  name  of  Musquakies,  (formerly  rendered 
Mus-qua-ka).  After  many  journeys  hither  and  thither, 
dwelling  for  some  time  in  Kansas,  whither  they  were  re- 
moved by  the  Government,  they  finally  returned,  to  the 
number  of  several  hundred,  and  stayed  their  wandering 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  Jl 

footsteps  upon  the  land  of  their  forefathers,  locating  in 
Tama  county,  Iowa.  Here  they  purchased  land  on  both 
sides  of  the  Iowa  river.  This  was  a  level  tract,  fit  mostly  for 
grazing  purposes.  They  built  a  village,  composed  of 
tents,  (made  of  a  matting  of  reeds  woven  together,)  called 
in  their  language  wick-i-ups,  or  lodges  made  of  logs  with  a 
thatched  roof. 

The  Fifth  General  Assembly  of  Iowa,  convened  in 
extra  session,  July  2,  1856,  passed  a  law  granting  permis- 
sion to  the  Indians  to  reside  in  the  'State.  This  act  took 
effect  July  30,  1856.-  Until  this  time  the  statute  books  of 
Iowa  contained  a  law  that  no  Indian  should  be  allowed  to 
give  evidence  in  a  court  of  justice,  in  any  suit  against  a 
white  man,  or  to  which  a  white  man  was  a  party,  thereby 
giving  the  Indian  no  civil  rights  which  others  were  bound 
to  respect.  All  honor  to  the  General  Assembly  which 
also  passed  an  act  repealing  this  unjust  law,  which  was  a 
blot  upon  the  fair  fame  of  the  S^ate. 

The  form  of  government  among  the  Indians  is  that 
called  "  tribal  law,"  and  is  invested  in  the  Chiefs  and  Coun- 
cilors. The  right  of  Chieftainship  is  hereditary,  descend- 
ing from  father  to  son,  except  in  case  of  a  war  Chief,  who 
was  formerly  chosen  for  his  warlike  acts,  and  often  de- 
posed when  his  bravery  was  no  longer  conspicuous,  or 
when  he  failed  in  conquering  his  foes.  In  olden  time  there 
was  always  a  war  Chief,  and  a  village  Chief,  and  if  the 
former  was  in  any  way  prominent,  he  transacted  all  busi- 
ness of  the  tribe,  and  was  looked  upon  as  the  head  Chief, 
or  ruler. 

Councils  are  held  among  the  Indians  at  which  their 


72  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

agent  is,  or  is  not  present.  All  grievances  are  talked  over, 
the  business  of  the  tribe  is  discussed,  as  pertains  to  their 
land,  or  annuity  payments,  so  that  all  who  will  may  hear, 
and  harmony  usually  prevails,  as  but  few,  if  any  of  the  In- 
dians, will  ever  disobey  the  known  mandates  of  the  Chiefs, 
all  power  being  vested  in  their  hands. 

In  the  early  days  of  American  history,  even  as  far 
back  as  when  the  Puritans  found  a  home  and  dwelt  upon 
the  soil  of  the  free,  there  was  a  kind  of  civil  government 
among  the  Indians,  and  officers  to  enforce  its  decrees. 

o  * 

The  following  copy  of  a  warrant  to  an  Indian  constable 
was  written  by  a  magistrate,  also  an  Indian: 

"I,  Hihondi,  you  Peter  Waterman,  Jeremy  Wickett, 
quick  you  take  him;  straight  you  bring  him  before  me. 

HlHONDE. 

In  some  parts  of  the  west  the  Indians  hold  court  them- 
selves, and  sentence  the  prisoner,  after  duly  deliberating 
on  his  case,  which  sentence  is  always  carried  into  effect. 
Indian  policemen  are  found  effective  in  keeping  the  peace 
at  an  agency,  and  reporting  all  drunkenness  or  unruly  con- 
duct at  headquarters;  but  among  these  Indians  this  would 
be  an  innovation,  indeed,  and  it  would  require  persuasive 
qualities  of  a  very  high  order,  and  a  height  of  civilization 
to  which  they  have  not  yet  attained,  to  make  them  view 
such  a  project  with  any  degree  of  favor. 

The  land  formerly  purchased  has  been  added  to  at 
various  times,  until  the  tribe  now  own  thirteen  hundred 
acres.  A  part  of  this  only  is  cultivated,  and  that  in  some- 
what primitive  fashion,  the  remaining  being  used  for  graz- 
ing purposes;  the  wealth  of  the  Indians,  like  all  semi-civil- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  73 

ized  tribes,  being  in  their  ponies.  Taxes  are  paid  by  them 
upon  their  land,  the  same  as  any  other  land  holders. 

Some  improvement  is  noticed  in  the  condition  of  this 
tribe  during  the  past  ten  years,  yet  the  casual  visitor  to 
the  Indian  village  could  scarcely  be  persuaded  of  this  fact, 
as  he  beholds  the  style  of  dress  worn  for  a  centurv;  leg- 
gins,  blankets  and  feathers,  silver  ornaments  and  paint  be- 
ing conspicuous;  the  children  in  summer  almost  in  a  state 
of  nudity,  frequently  quite  so.  Of  late  years  the  desire  of 
the  Indian  for  a  larger  and  more  comfortable  lodge  than 
satisfied  his  wants  formerly  is  noticeable,  and  those  recent- 
ly built  can  easily  be  distinguished  from  the  lodge  of  ear- 
lier date  in  this  particular  respect.  Usually  about  four 
families  occupy  a  lodge,  a  portion  of  which  is  set  apart  for 
each  one's  use.  A  platform  about  three  feet  in  height 
runs  the  length  of  the  lodge  on  either  side.  This  is  cov- 
ered with  matting,  carpet  or  skins,  sometimes  all  three, 
and  furnishes  sleeping  accommodation  for  the  inmates. 
The  fires,  generally  two  in  number,  are  upon  the  earthen 
floor.  (Further  description  of  this  will  be  given  else- 
where). 

This  tribe  are  the  most  difficult  of  any  to  reach  in  the 
matter  of  education,  or  progression  of  any  kind,  which 
they  steadily  oppose,  if  not  in  outward  manifestation,  with 
a  sullen,  passive  resistance,  and  only  by  securing  first  their 
friendship  and  good  will,  is  it  possible  to  advance  any  pro- 
ject of  this  kind  with  even  the  smallest  degree  of  success. 
Their  stubborn  adherence  to  their  own  ideas  is  especially 
characteristic  of  the  tribe,  and  the  fidelity  with  which  they 
observe  all  rules  or  ordinances  connected  with  their  reli- 


74  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

gious  belief.  While  acknowledging  the  authority  of  the 
Government  in  certain  matters,  they  do  not  in  all.  They 
think  they  have  a  right  to  choose  their  own  mode  of  life, 
bring  up  their  children  without  the  education  of  the  white 
man.  and  be  themselves  as  far  removed  from  his  advance- 
ment as  it  is  possible  to  be.  This  condition  of  affairs  has 
existed  for  long  years;  it  is  likely  to  continue  the  same,  un- 
less stringent  measures  are  taken  by  the  Indian  Depart- 
ment to  secure,  at  least  to  the  rising  generation,  an  indus- 
trial education,  as  well  as  instruction  in  the  common 
branches,  which  will  fit  the  Indian  to  earn  his  own  living, 
cast  from  him  the  indolence  of  his  race,  and  turning 
his  back  on  the  old  mode  of  a  semi-barbarous  life,  push 
forward  until  he  gain  the  height  of  civilization. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

First  Sight  of  the  Indian— Sac  and  Fox  Agency— A  Dismal  Vis- 
ion—Government Building— The  Agent— Visit  to  a  Wick-i-up 
—The  Witch  of  Endor — First  Impressions — Good  Bye. 

Our  first  sight  of  the  noble  red  man  was  far  away 
across  the  border  land  that  divides  the  domain  of  Uncle 
Sam  from  that  of  his  Canadian  cousin.  We  gazed  upon 
him  with  something  like  awe,  as  on  a  denizen  from  another 
clime.  Wild  visions  of  tomahawk  or  scalping  knife  arose, 
while  the  Indian  of  romance  disappeared  altogether  from 
our  imagination,  never  more  to  return,  as  in  the  glaring 
light  of  reality  this  child  of  nature  stood  revealed.  Since 
that  time  we  have  become  better  acquainted  with  the  gen- 
eral characteristics  of  the  race.  The  Indians,  especially 
those  who  come  in  contact  with  civilization,  are  shrewd 
and  far  seeing,  and  have  a  depth  of  cunning  unsuspected 
by  a  casual  observer.  This  is  true  of  those  of  whom  we 
write.  • 

The  Indian  will  take  you  in  at  a  glance,  and  his  mind 
retains  that  graphic  picture  for  all  time  to  come.  It  might 
not  be  wise,  as  wisdom  goes,  to  insist  on  a  close  view  of 
your  photograph,  as  the  Indian  knows  nothing  of  the  art 
of  retouching  to  make  perfect,  and  has  only  nature,  and 
not  art  to  present,  and  it  is  possible  that  it  might  prove  a 
difficult  matter  for  even  the  initiated  to  discover  where  na- 
ture ends  and  art  begins. 


76  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

Our  first  sight  of  a  Musquakie,  or  Fox  Indian,  was 
on  a  visit  to  what  is  commonly  known  (in  Government  re- 
ports and  elsewhere,)  as  Sac  aud  Fox  Agency,  Iowa. 
Driving  westward  from  Tama  City,  some  three  miles,  over 
a  winding  road,  a  part  of  which  led  through  timber,  the 
Indian's  land  was  reached,  and  still  a  little  farther  a  solita- 
ry building  of  medium  size  became  visible  in  the  distance. 
It  had  a  hill  for  a  background,  on  the  top  of  which  an  In- 
dian grave  yard  was  dimly  visible.  The  building  was 
painted  a  dingy  brown,  and  all  the  surroundings  were  in 
harmony,  and  at  that  season  of  the  year  presented  a  picture 
of  bleak  and  dreary  desolation  impossible  to  describe.  Scat- 
tered here  and  there  among  the  leafless  trees  were  several 
Indian  Wick-i-ups,  as  black  and  grimy  as  the  faces  of  the 
occupants  appeared  on  first  sight  to  the  visitor. 

We  were  informed  that  this  was  the  Agency.  The 
name  was  impressive.  It  seemed  of  so  much  greater  mag- 
nitude than  anything  else,  and  inspired  moralizing  thoughts. 
To  the  observer  we  might  say,  behold  this  place!  It  has 
been  built  and  set  apart  by  the  Government  of  a  great 
Nation  where  its  wards  may  receive  impressions  of  the 
comforts  and  refinements  of  civilized  life,  that  will  create 
in  them  an  absorbing  desire  to  "go  and  do  likewise." 
Here  shall  knowledge  be  presented  (with  attractive  sur- 
roundings,) that  will  have  a  pleasing  contrast  to  ignorance, 
and  therefore  present  an  alluring  aspect.  Here  shall  the 
romantic  nature  of  the  Indian  weave  bright  visions  around 
this  rose-clad  (!)  spot.  Here  shall  they  receive  lofty  ideas 
of  the  philanthropy  and  liberality  of  the  Indian  Depart- 
ment, who  spends  their  money  to  provide  them  with  what 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  77 

they  don't  want,  and  but  little  that  they  do.  Here,  in  fact, 
is  another  Agency,  about  which,  when  time  hangs 
heavy  at  headquarters  innumerable  circulars  will  be  issued 
about  anything  and  everything,  woven  about  with  the 
finest  of  red  tape,  and  plenty  of  it. 

This  "caustic"  moralizing  is  suddenly  brought  to  an 
end,  for  we  are  at  a  stand  still.  Our  driver  has  halted  at 
the  door  of  the  Government  building,  and  we  are  politely 
received  by  a  gentleman  of  gracious  and  pleasing  address, 
who  is  introduced  as  "  the  Agent."  This  building  was 
built  for  school  purposes,  the  upper  portion  at  that  time 
being  occupied  by  the  Agent,  Col.  Davenport,  who  gave 
up  the  comforts  and  refinements  of  civilized  life  to 
live  among  these  people,  (to  whom  he  had  been  a  life  long 
friend,)  in  the  hope  of  bettering  their  condition  by  exam- 
ple and  precept. 

After  some  conversation  with  reference  to  the  Indians, 
we  were  escorted  to  a  wick-i-up  and  beheld  our  first  view 
of  its  interior,  gazing  with  curious  eyes  at  the  inmates  and 
contents. 

All  around  the  tent,  and  piled  up  against  it  to  some 
height,  was  a  heterogenous  mass  containing  baskets,  bun- 
dles, pieces  of  rope,  moccasins  and  a  saddle  or  two,  the 
whole  covered  with  the  smoke  and  dust  of  the  centuries, 
or  so  it  appeared.  Hanging  from  the  top  of  the  tent  was 
an  old  carpet  bag  that  looked  like  a  relic  of  the  anti-dilu- 
vian  period,  and  scattered  about  in  anything  but  delightful 
confusion,  dried  squash,  strings  of  beads,  pieces  of  rusty 
pork,  etc.,  were  seen.  The  presiding  genius  of  the  lodge 
was  a  toothless  old  squaw,  antiquated  and  grim,  a  lineal 


78  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

descendant  of  the  Witch  of  Endor,  we  felt  convinced.  In 
a  burst  of  confidence  this  old  woman  gravely  informed  us 
the  earth  was  her  mother,  which  we  did  not  attempt  to 
deny,  for  her  expressive  lineaments  bore  upon  them  strong 
proof,  if  not  of  the  relationship  claimed,  at  least  of  her  fa- 
miliarity with  mother  earth. 

Two  other  women,  with  the  usual  nnmber  of  babies 
and  dogs,  and  a  couple  of  Indians  who  were  shrouded  in 
their  blankets,  their  heads  and  feet  alone  being  visible, 
were  other  occupants  of  the  tent.  A  wood  fire  in  the  cen- 
ter almost  blinded  the  eyes  of  the  inmates  with  smoke,  and 
the  ashes  blown  about  by  the  wind  rested  lightly  and  lov- 
ingly on  the  faces  and  clothing  of  the  visitors.  A  strange 
sight  truly,  was  this  scene  and  its  surroundings  to  unac- 
customed eyes,  while  semi-barbarism  as  contrasted  with 
civilization,  presented  anything  but  an  alluring  aspect. 

A  crazy  boy,  about  ten  years  of  age,  was  another  oc- 
cupant of  the  tent,  and  gazed  at  the  intruders  with  hid- 
eous contortions  of  the  face,  almost  like  a  bird  of  prey, 
ready  to  pounce  on  an  unwary  victim,  but  no  manifesta- 
tion of  the  kind  being  made,  we  took  our  departure 
amid  a  chorus  of  "  good  byes,"  their  heartiness  no  doubt 
prompted  by  the  satisfaction  of  the  inmates  to  find  them- 
selves once  more  alone. 

Another  tent  was  visited,  the  exact  counterpart  of  the 
former,  with  but  slight  variation  in  the  matter  of  dirt  and 
other  unimportant  particulars. 

First  impressions  are  often  correct  ones.  The  lonely 
building  upon  the  hillside  struck  us  very  forcibly,  as  if  a 
monument  had  been  reared  to  commemorate  the  record  of 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  79 

a  series  of  mistakes  in  the  management  of  this  people,  who 
had  lived  more  than  a  score  of  years  in  the  midst  of  civil- 
ized Iowa,  in  a  state  of  semi-barbarism,  making  no  ad- 
vancement in  any  way,  and  changing  in  no  respect  their 
mode  of  life.  These  errors  cannot  be  traced.  They  be- 
gan when  the  Indians  first  received  permission  to  reside  in 
the  State  as  land  holders.  This  should  have  been  made 
conditional  on  their  education,  or  rather  the  education  of 
the  children.  They  have  continued  from  many  causes 
ever  since.  Morally,  socially,  progressively  and  religious- 
ly, these  people  were  let  alone  for  a  period  of  many  long 
years.  The  Government  paid  their  annuity  money,  and 
took  no  further  cognizance  of  them  till  the  next  payment. 
The  State  allowed  them  to  pay  taxes  as  did  all  land  hold- 
ers, then  passed  them  by  as  irresponsible  persons.  Phi- 
lanthropic and  religious  societies  of  every  class  and  denom- 
ination followed  the  example  of  the  Pharisee,  and  passed 
by.  To  be  sure  individuals  visited  their  camps,  prompted 
by  curiosity,  or  some  baser  motive.  Communities  dealt 
with  them  in  trade,  but  in  other  respects  viewed  ,them  as 
subjects  for  censure  or  ridicule. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  while  viewing  the  home 
of  the  Indian  this  knowledge  came  to  us  by  intuition,  it 
was  gradually  forced  upon  the  mind  by  after  observation, 
and  by  the  evidence  of  those  who  had  known  this  branch 
of  the  tribe  for  many  long  years,  and  were  familiar  with 
the  record  of  events  that  up  to  this  time  constituted  their 
history.  After  gaining  farther  information  with  reference 
to  the  social  customs  of  the  Indians,  the  horses  heads  were 
turned  once  more,  and  confident  that  our  visit  had  not 


8O  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

been  a  failure,  as  a  new  experience  had  been  gained,  we 
bid  adieu  to  the  real,  and  the  unreal,  to  the  actual  facts 
learned,  (which  were  treasured  up  for  future  use,)  and  the 
errors  of  previous  imagination,  and  shaking  the  Musqur- 
kie  dust  from  our  feet,  (and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  it,) 
we  went  back  again  to  civilization,  wishing  that  some  mod- 
ern "Alexander"  could  be  found  able  to  conquer  igno- 
rance, superstition  and  vice  at  one  fell  blow,  and  bring  or- 
der out  of  chaos,  that  from  the  degradation  of  a  lifetime, 
these  people  might  be  brought  into  the  broader  light  of 
civilization,  and  that  the  "  Great  Architect  "  who  carves 
out  human  destinies  at  will,  might  breathe  on  torpid  minds 
His  quickening  breath,  and  inspire  the  desire  for  a  higher 
and  a  better  life. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Romance — No  Marriage  Service — Old  Custom  of  Courtship — Indian 
Weddings— Fidelity  to  a  Friend— Cheyenne  Girl— The  Brave 
—The  Seminole  Chieftain — Legend  of  a  Grotto. 

t 

Romance  has  ever  been  intimately  connected  with 
Indians  and  Indian  life.  We  associate  it  with  them,  just  as 
we  do  the  song  of  the  birds  or  the  rythm  of  the  passing 
breezes.  It  throws  a  halo  over  his  acts  of  prowess,  his 
stoicism,  his  daring  in  battle,  even  the  scalps  of  his  ene- 
mies, which  are  trophies  of  his  valor  and  skill,  possess  a 
weird  fascination  all  their  own.  His  cruel,  or  noble  acts, 
have  been  touched  by  the  glowing  finger  of  the  poet  and 
given  new  life,  or  sung  in  thrilling  verse  beside  the  hearth- 
stone of  some  happy  home;  or  the  novelist  has  decked 
him  out  in  fantastic  colors,  and  woven  his  life  into  a  story. 
But,  alas,  for  the  impossible  Indian,  with  the  grand  and  he- 
roic qualities,  who  possessed  all  the  virtues  of  the  virtuous, 
with  the  sublimity  learned  from  nature,  and  the  heroism 
of  a  hero,  he  has  long  passed  away,  and  yet  stories  come 
to  us  of  devotion  aud  fidelity  on  the  part  of  the  Indian  al- 
most unknown  to  the  prosaic  age  in  which  we  live. 

The  "  War  Eagles  "  of  romance  are  merged  into  "The 
Young  Man  Afraid  of  His  Horses,"  the  actual  name  of  a 
Sioux  Indian;  the  "  Hiawatha's  "  of  poetry  are  now  known 
by  the  cognomen  of  "  Crazy  Horse,"  or  "  Old  Smoke,'''  or 
something  equally  beautiful  and  expressive,  while  the  Min- 


82  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

nehaha's  who  resembled  the  "starlight,"  or  the  "moon- 
light," are  equally  scarce,  and  must  have  been  translated 
to  some  other  sphere. 

The  hero  of  "Locksley  Hall,"  becoming  disgusted 
with  the  frivolity  and  lies  of  social  life,  or  society,  and  hav- 
ing also  had  a  love  disappointment,  which  is  commonly 
supposed  to  work  mischief,  even  in  this  age,  exclaims: 

% 
"  I  will  take  some  savage  woman, 

She  shall  rear  my  dusky  race." 

But  in  reality  had  he  done  this,  though  the  "savage 
woman  "  possessed  virtues  of  fidelity  or  devotion  unknown 
to  many  of  her  civilized  sisters,  would  he  not  have  sighed 
in  vain  for  a  wrecked  life,  and  the  grand  possibilities  it 
once  contained,  even  for  the  "dreary  moorland  that 
surrounded  Locksley  Hall." 

There  is  no  marriage  service  among  the  Musquakie 
Indians,  though  certain  ceremonies  are  usual.  A  young 
man  takes  a  fancy  to  some  dusky  maiden,  (and  perhaps 
love  and  interest  are  equally  combined,  as  they  usually 
are,)  and  he  frequents  the  vicinity  of  hei  lodge,  and  woes 
his  love  in  the  strains  of  the  flute,  called  Ne-nau-qua,  a 
rough  wooden  instrument  somewhat  resembling  a  flute, 
and  made  by  himself  for  these  particular  occasions. 
Again  and  again  will  the  discordant  noise  of  the  lover  float 
through  the  evening  air,  'ere  he  becomes  bold  enough  to 
converse  with  the  object  of  his  adoration.  After  this  it 
does  not  take  long  to  settle  preliminary  matters.  A  pre- 
sent of  a  pony  or  two  is  sometimes  given  to  the  mother  of 
the  girl  to  propitiate  her,  and  make  her  willing  to  receive 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  83 

a  son-in-law  into  her  lodge,  as  is  the  custom  to  do.  A 
"trosseau  "  is  not  needed  to  enhance  the  importance  of  the 
bride,  and  her  friends  are  not  expected  to  supply  her  with 
pickle  dishes  and  other  marriage  presents.  A  marriage  is 
quite  an  ordinary  every  day  occurrence,  the  same  persons 
being  frequently  married  to  others,  and  still  others,  if  the 
first  parties  do  not  live  happily  together,  so  that  the  mar- 
riage tie  has  not  much  sacredness  in  their  eyes,  and  is 
looked  upon  as  of  not  much  consequence.  Separations 
ensue  without  the  aid  of  a  lawyer  and  the  divorce  court, 
and  the  happy  couple  not  profiting  by  their  former  experi- 
ence, are  ready  to  embark  on  another  matrimonial  ven- 
ture, with  probably  like  results. 

"In  the  spring  a  young  man's  fancy  lightly  turn's  to 
thoughts  of  love,"  so  in  the  spring  the  young  Indian  may 
be  seen  clad  in  his  most  gaudy  costume,  and  glittering 
with  silver  ornaments  and  beads;  feathers  are  in  his  hat, 
or  in  his  hair,  if  he  is  not  the  fortunate  possessor  of  a  hat, 
(which  often  happens,)  and  wrapped  in  the  inevitable 
blanket,  generally  of  a  bright  red  color,  with  his  flute 
in  his  hand,  his  leggins  and  moccasins  gaily  ornamented, 
several  strings  of  beads  are  around  his  neck,  while  his 
arms  and  fingers  are  heavy  with  silver  bracelets  and 
rings,  he  goes  forth  to  conquer,  and  feels  himself  irresisti- 
ble, as  indeed  he  proves  to  be,  to  the  average  Indian  maid- 
en. From  the  life  of  Black  Hawk,  as  dictated  by  himself, 
we  glean  the  following  as  pertaining  to  an  early  custom: 

"  Our  women  plant  the  corn,  and  as  soon  as  they  get 
done  we  make  a  feast,  and  dance  the  crane  dance,  in 
which  they  join  us,  dressed  in  their  best,  and  decorated 


84  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

with  feathers.  At  this  feast  the  young  brave  selects  the 
young  woman  he  wishes  to  have  for  a  wife.  He  then  in- 
forms his  mother,  who  calls  on  the  mother  of  the  girl, 
when  the  arrangement  is  made  and  the  time  appointed  for 
him  to  come.  He  goes  to  the  lodge  when  all  are  asleep, 
lights  matches  which  have  been  placed  ready  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  soon  finds  where  his  intended  sleeps.  He  then 
awakens  her  and  holds  the  light  to  his  face  so  that  she 
may  recognize  him,  after  which  he  places  the  light  close  to 
her.  If  she  blow  it  out  the  ceremony  is  ended  and  he  ap- 
pears in  the  lodge  the  next  morning  as  one  of  the  family. 
If  she  does  not  blow  out  the  light,  but  leaves  it  to  burn 
out,  he  retires  from  the  lodge.  The  next  day,  (with  the 
exemplary  perseverance  that  is  usually  crowned  by  suc- 
cess,) he  places  himself  in  full  view  of  the  lodge  and  plays 
his  flute.  The  young  women  go  out,  one  by  one,  to  see 
who  he  is  playing  for.  The  tune  changes  to  let  them 
know  he  is  not  playing  for  them.  When  his  intended 
makes  her  appearance  at  the  door  he  continues  the  court- 
ing tune  until  she  returns  to  the  lodge.  He  then  stops 
playing  and  makes  another  trial  at  night,  which  generally 
turns  out  favorable.  During  the  first  year  they  ascertain 
whether  they  can  agree  with  each  other,  and  can  be  hap- 
py. They  say  if  they  lived  together  and  disagreed  they 
would  be  as  foolish  as  the  whites." 

The  Indians  marry  very  young.  It  is  not  infrequent 
that  a  young  man  who  has  not  reached  the  age  of  twenty 
has  had  two  or  three  wives  from  whom  he  has  been  part- 
ed for  some  reason  or  other,  perhaps  infidelity,  a  common 
cause,  or  another  face  may  have  won  his  fickle  fancy,  or 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  85 

the  number  of  ponies  possessed  by  a  rival  belle,  who  has 
given  him  a  few  tender  glances,  may  quite  win  over  from 
the  allegiance  he  owes  his  wife,  that  thing  composed  of 
arteries  and  valves,  commonlv  known  as  a  heart. 

Romantic  stories  are  told,  something  after  the  Cap- 
tain John  Smith  and  Pocahontas  order,  of  the  devotion  of 
some  Indian  girl  for  some  one  far  above  her  in  caste,  one 
especially  of  a  girl  belonging  to  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe, 
who  fell  in  love  with  an  officer  of  one  of  the  forts,  who  was 
finally  touched  by  her  devotion  and  married  her.  Living 
happily  together  for  some  time,  he  at  last  became  tired  of 
the  jeers  and  taunts  cast  upon  him  by  his  brother  officers 
on  account  of  his  Indian  wife,  and  being  ordered  to  a  dis- 
tant fort  concluded  to  desert  his  wife  and  child,  which  no- 
ble intention  he  carried  out.  The  Indian  woman,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  rules  of  social  life,  knowing  nothing  but  her 
love  for  the  craven  who  had  deserted  her,  followed  him 
for  many  a  mile  over  the  pathless  prairie,  until  with  bleed- 
ing feet,  and  heart  which  also  bled,  she  reached  her  desti- 
nation, where  her  husband,  (who  must  have  had,  or  ought 
to  have  had,  a  supreme  contempt  for  himself,)  consented 
to  receive  her  and  her  child,  with  whom  she  lived  until  his 
death,  then  returned  again  to  her  own  people,  no  doubt 
glad  to  get  away  from  civilized  life  and  all  the  sorrow  her 
experience  had  cost  her. 

We  have  attended  Indian  weddings  where  the  bride 
and  groom  becomingly  dressed  walked  up  the  aisle  of  the 
church,  (their  attendants  following,)  and  were  married  at 
the  altar.  A  somewhat  amusing  incident  was  witnessed 
in  the  same  church.  The  minister,  a  Sioux  Indian,  was  all 


86  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

ready  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony,  and  waited  for 
the  parties  to  approach,  after  telling  them  to  do  so.  Both 
the  Indians  and  whites  were  alike  interested.  The  minis- 
ter stood  with  folded  hands.  Clad  in  his  white  robe  he 
looked  as  solemn  as  the  occasion  demanded.  Again  he 
said  in  the  liquid  notes  of  his  native  tongue,  "  Let  the  par- 
ties to  be  married  approach."  At  this,  the  second  invita- 
tion, a  tall  Indian  arose,  and  walking  up  the  aisle  stood  be- 
fore the  minister,  but  where  was  the  bride?  Echo  an- 
swers, where?  Seated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  church 
she  gave  no  sign  that  she  had  heard  the  words  uttered,  or 
knew  what  was  expected  of  her.  The  Indian  waited  pa- 
tiently, standing  like  a  statue,  in  stolid  indifference,  evinc- 
ing no  embarrassment  or  emotion  of  any  kind,  but  oh,  for 
the  power  of  a  mind  reader  to  reveal  his  thoughts.  The 
scene  took  on  an  added  interest.  The  minister  again  ad- 
(dressed  the  woman  in  her  native  tongue,  but  what  were 
her  thoughts?  Was  she  hesitating  while  yet  there  was 
time?  Who  can  tell?  After  waiting  a  few  minutes  longer 
she  arose  and  took  her  place,  and  the  magic  words  were 
spoken  that  would  secure  her  happiness  or  misery  for  all 
future  time. 

Fit  for  romance  or  song,  is  the  story  of  the  Sioux  In- 
dian, who  offered  his  life  to  redeem  that  of  a  friend.  No 
more  heroic  deed,  almost  grand  in  its  sublimity,  has  ever 
been  related.  Several  years  since  an  Indian  committed  a 
crime,  which,  according  to  tribal  law,  must  cost  him  his 
life.  A  life  must  pay  the  penalty  of  a  life,  is  the  Indian 
creed.  He  was  condemned  to  die,  and  his  stern  execution- 
ers were  all  ready  to  execute  the  sentence.  The  near  ap- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  87 

proach  of  death  made  the  victim  for  a  time  forget  his  stoi- 
cism. He  asks  permission  to  visit  his  lodge  to  whisper  a 
last  good  bye  to  his  wife  and  children.  Followed  by  the 
lynx  eyes  of  those  who  guarded  him,  he  went.  Large 
crowds  of  Indians  stood  around  in  expectation  of  the  scene; 
the  trees  of  the  forest  chanted  a  melancholy  dirge,  and  in 
the  far  off  distance  the  cry  of  a  beast  of  prey  was  heard. 
A  hush  fell  upon  the  assemblage,  and  the  wail  of  the  man's 
wife,  and  the  cries  of  his  children  were  distinctly  heard 
from  the  distant  "tee-pi."  A  few  minutes  more  and  the 
Indian  appeared  and  walked  with  proud  and  lofty  bearing 
to  the  place  that  had  been  designated  for  him  to  stand. 
The  bent  bows  are  ready;  when  lo!  a  cry  is  heard,  and  a 
young  Indian,  tall,  proud  and  stately,  steps  into  the  inclos- 
ure  with  uplifted  hand:  "Stop,  my  brothers,"  he  cries, 
"  this  Indian  is  condemned  to  die,  he  is  my  friend,  long 
time  have  we  hunted  together.  His  heart  and  mine  are 
one.  We  have  chased  the  deer  and  the  buffalo  over  the 
boundless  prairies.  Together  in  our  bark  canoe  we  have 
floated  down  the  stream.  Wrapped  in  our  blankets  we 
have  followed  the  trail,  and  our  feet  were  swift  as  the  light. 
Brothers,  this  man  must  not  die.  Hear  the  wail  of  the 
squaw,  hear  the  cries  of  the  children.  The  Great  Spirit  is 
angry,  He  says,  'ye  must  not  take  the  life  of  my  friend.' 
He  must  hunt  and  trap  and  fish.  He  must  bring  home 
the  food  that  the  little  ones  may  not  go  hungry.  He  must 
get  skins  to  protect  them  from  the  cold.  He  must  go  out 
to  fight  against  their  enemies  and  yours.  Look  at  me! 
In  my  lodge  no  woman  ^dwells.  I  hear  not  the  cry  of  little 
children.  No  sound  is  heard  in  my  lodge.  Brothers,  I 


83  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 


will  die  and  my  friend  shall  be  free.     Hen-an-na."     (This 

is  all). 

What  devotion  was  this,  so  rare,  and  so  noble,  and 
how  can  it  fitly  be  described?  With  the  tender  pathos  of 
the  poet,  or  woven  in  and  out  by  the  magic  wand  of  ro- 
mance. Shall  the  graphic  pen  of  the  "  ready  writer,"  de- 
scribe its  sublimity  and  fidelity?  Nay,  but  only  by  the 
simple  words,  written  with  the  pen  of  immortality,  can  it 
fitly  be  described:  "Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that 
a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friend."  Strange  that  it  was 
left  for  an  Indian  to  illustrate  the  principle  set  forth.  Strange 
that  the  uncivilized  should  have  reached  greater  heights 
than  civilization;  that  the  heathen  should  demonstrate 
one  of  the  leading  principles  of  Christianity. 

A  hush  fell  over  the  Indians,  their  savage  fury  was 
calmed.  The  act  appealed  to  something  within  them  they 
knew  not  they  possessed.  It  struck  the  chords  of  their 
very  being,  wild  and  fearless,  a  thrill  of  admiration  and 
pride  went  through  them.  They  held  a  council,  and  the 
proposed  victim  was  set  free,  and  in  his  place  they  took 

.     Ah,  no!     Even  an  Indian  can  admire  what  is  noble 

and  grand.  The  young  Indian  was  made  a  Chief,  and 
ruled  over  his  people  wisely  and  well  for  many  long  years, 
but  finally  met  a  tragic  death  at  the  hand  of  a  craven  foe. 

Touched  by  a  master  hand,  what  a  picture  the  scene 
described  above  would  make.  What  a  subject  for  a  dra- 
ma. How  fine  the  sentiment.  What  intense  pathos  could 
be  put  in  the  delineation  of  the  principal  characters,  for 
surely  this  incident  affords  material  enough  to  furnish  emo- 
tion of  almost  any  kind. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  89 

Another  story  of  Indian  life  and  death  is  that  of  the 
Cheyenne  girl  who  lived  in  the  Yellow  Stone  country. 
Near  the  field  where  Custer  fought  and  died,  this  girl  was 
taken  prisoner  by  a  soldier,  and  held  captive  in  the  stock- 
ade at  Fort  Keogh.  Her  lover  was  the  War  Chief  of  a 
band,  and  he  made  several  attacks  upon  the  stockade  hop- 
ing to  effect  her  rescue.  He  was  unsuccessful,  and  the 
girl  rather  than  be  untrue  to  her  lover,  chose  instead  of 
dishonor — death.  Raising  her  eves  to  the  blue  sky  above 
her,  with  the  knife  (her  only  friend,)  all  ready  in  her  hand, 
she  exclaimed:  "  Man-i-tou,  God  of  the  Indian,  to  Thee 
I  come,"  and  instantly  plunged  it  into  her  heart. 

In  the  year  1820  an  incident  occurred  in  connection 
with  the  Sacs  and  lowas,  one  of  the  Sacs  having  killed  an 
Iowa,  and  according  to  an  agreement  between  these  tribes 
the  murderer  must  be  delivered  to  justice.  The  story  is 
told  in  a  history  of  Black  Hawk  published  in  1855.  The 
Sacs  delivering  the  young  man  for  the  purpose  of  having 
the  death  sentence  executed  upon  him. 

"A  party  of  Sacs,  of  whom  Black  Hawk  was  one, 
agreed  to  visit  the  Iowa  village,  and  when  ready  to  depart 
called  at  the  lodge  of  the  young  man  who  had  committed 
the  murder  to  take  him  with  them.  He  was  very  sick,  but 
still  willing  to  accompany  them.  His  brother,  however, 
interfered  and  said  he  was  too  sick  to  accompany  them, 
but  he  would  go  himself  and  die  in  his  place,  finally  set- 
ting oft  with  the  part}*.  On  the  seventh  day  they  reached 
the  Iowa  village.  They  dismounted  a  short  distance  from 
it,  and  bid  a  last  farewell  to  the  young  brave,  who,  sing- 
ing loud  his  death  song,  went  calmly  forward  alone,  and 


90  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 


seated  himself  in  the  center  of  the  lodges.  One  of  the 
Iowa  Chiefs  then  went  out  to  Black  Hawk,  who  told  him 
the  young  man  who  committed  the  murder  was  sick,  and 
that  his  brother  had  come  to  die  in  his  place.  They  then 
mounted  their  horses  and  set  out  on  their  return  home- 
ward, and  looking  back  toward  the  village  saw  the  Iowa's 
with  spears  and  clubs,  gathering  around  the  young 
brave. 

"At  night  the  returning  party  having  stopped  and  kin- 
dled a  fire,  were  suddenly  alarmed  by  the  tramping  of 
horses.  They  immediately  stood  to  their  arms,  but  were 
relieved  by  finding,  instead  of  a  foe,  their  young  brave, 
unhurt,  and  in  possession  of  two  horses.  He  told  them 
that  the  lowas  had  first  threatened  him  with  instant  death, 
but  finally  changing  their  purpose  had  given  him  some- 
thing to  eat,  smoked  the  pipe  with  him,  and  presenting 
him  with  two  horses  bid  him  return  home  in  safety.  The 
generous  conduct  of  the  lowas  is  deserving  of  praise,  but 
the  generous  affection  of  this  young  brave,  in  nobly  volun- 
teering to  die  in  place  of  his  sick  brother,  presents  one  of 
those  rare  cases  of  self  devotion,  which  should  long  be 
held  in  remembrance." 

Another  authentic  narrative  has,  however,  a  some- 
what mythical  sound,  and  represents  romance  of  a  very 
high  order.  A  young  lady,  daughter  of  a  Governor,  had 
been  present  at  many  councils  of  the  Indians  with  her 
father,  and  had  a  violent  admiration  for  the  character  of 
the  red  man,  so  that  she  determined  to  bestow  herself  on 
some  warlike  lord  of  the  forest.  She  then  informed  her 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  9! 

father  of  these  intentions,  who,  strange  to  say,  made  no 
objection. 

The  next  day  there  was  a  council,  and  he  inquired  of 
the  Indians  who  was  the  most  expert  hunter,  and  being 
told,  then  inquired  of  his  daughter  if  she  had  determined 
on  taking  an  Indian  husband,  and  on  being  told  yes,  he 
called  her  attention  to  this  young  Creek,  with  whom  she 
immediately  fell  desperately  in  love.  The  Governor  then 
informed  the  Chief  that  his  daughter  wanted  to  marry  one 
of  his  braves,  and  having  pointed  out  the  person,  said  he 
gave  his  consent. 

Imagine  the  feelings  of  the  young  Indian  when  told 
of  the  proposal.  He  was  too  gallant  to  refuse  his  offered 
bride,  and  much  too  embarrassed  to  properly  appreciate 
the  bliss  thus  forced  upon  him. 

He  gave  his  consent — who  could  do  more,  or  less? — 
and  was  taken  to  another  apartment,  where  his  Indian 
clothing  was  removed  by  servants,  and  he  was  dressed  in 
citizens  dress,  and  the  marriage  ceremony  immediately 
performed. 

One  more  story  of  the  fidelity  of  an  Indian,  is  that  of 
the  Seminole  Chieftain,  "  Wild  Cat,"  confined  in  Fort  Ma- 
rion, with  a  companion,  and  who  determined  to  effect  his 
escape.  To  this  end  he  cut  up  the  material  of  their  bed 
and  made  a  rope,  then  ate  but  little  for  several  days  in 
order  to  reduce  their  bodies.  On  a  dark  night  when  all 
was  quiet,  Wild  Cat  and  his  companion  forced  their  way 
through  a  narrow  opening  in  the  cell,  thirteen  feet  from 
the  ground.  He  was  fearfully  cut  by  the  operation,  but 
descended  in  safety,  but  the  other  Indian,  less  fortunate, 


92  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

missed  the  rope  and  fell  a  distance  of  eighteen  feet.  The 
brave  Seminole  would  not  desert  his  friend  in  this  predic- 
ament even  to  save  himself.  He  took  him  up  and  carried 
him,  and  by  extreme  caution  succeeded  in  eluding  the 
guards,  at  length  reaching  his  tribe  in  safety,  after  car- 
rying his  companion  the  whole  of  the  way.  It  seems  al- 
most more  than  human  to  give  up,  what  appears  the  only 
hope  of  liberty,  rather  than  desert  a  friend  in  the  hour  of 
need,  for  what  Indian  but  would  rather  choose  death  a 
thousand  times  than  a  hopeless  imprisonment.  Chain  the 
tiger  in  a  cage,  what  fierce  pangs,  he  feels  robbed  of  his 
heritage  of  liberty.  Put  life  long  shackles  upon  the  limbs 
of  the  Indian,  and  rather,  were  the  choice  given  him, 
would  he  utter  his  last  defiant  war  whoop  and  plunge  the 
deadly  knife  within  his  heart. 

The  falls  of  St.  Anthony  have  a  legend  of  a  beautiful 
Sioux  girl  by  name,  Ampetu  Sapa,  (-which  signfies  Black 
Morning,)  who  was  married  to  a  brave  young  hunter,  and 
lived  happily  with  him  for  some  years,  but  afterward  found 
him  inconstant,  another  having  usurped  the  affection  right- 
ly hers.  When  this  knowledge  came  to  her  she  launched 
a  light  canoe,  in  which  with  her  two  children,  she  had  en- 
tered, and  paddling  toward  the  rapids,  began  singing  her 
death  song.  She  was  seen,  but  too  late  to  be  saved,  and 
her  voice  grew  fainter  and  fainter  as  the  distance  increas- 
ed. For  a  moment  the  canoe  paused  at  the  brink,  envel- 
oped with  spray,  then  with  a  sudden  plunge  it  darted 
downward,  carrying  its  occupants  to  instant  death. 

The  Indians  believe  that  in  the  morning  a  voice  is 
heard  singing  a  doleful  song  along  the  edge  of  the  Falls, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  93 

telling  of  the  unfaithfulness  of  the  husband.  Some  even 
assert  that  the  spirit  of  the  woman  has  been  seen  wander- 
ing near  the  spot,  with  her  children  tightly  clasped  to  her 
bosom. 

Near  the  watch  tower  of  Black  Hawk  was  once  a 
grotto.  The  legend  which  invests  it  with  interest  is  this. 
A  yonng  Sioux  out  on  a  hunt  lost  his  way,  and  found  him- 
self at  length  far  from  home,  and  on  the  borders  of  the 
Sac  village.  Here  he  sought  and  found  shelter,  remaining 
for  several  days  in  the  midst  of  his  deadly  foes,  who,  had 
they  met  under  any  other  circumstances,  would  gladly 
have  taken  his  scalp.  Safely  he  lay  down  to  rest  and 
safely  arose.  Food  in  plenty  was  placed  before  him,  and 
he  smoked  the  pipe  as  an  honored  guest. 

Almost  parallel  with  this  is  the  story  of  Roderick  Dhu, 
the  mountain  Chieftain,  and  James  Fitz  James,  who  claimed 
protection  from  the  hands  of  his  deadliest  foe,  and  sought 
it  not  in  vain.  The  poet  thus  writes  of  the  hospitality 
shown  the  stranger  by  the  fierce  Roderick : 

"He  gave  him  of  his  Highland  cheer. 
The  hardened  flesh  of  mountain  deer; 
Fresh  fuel  on  the  fire  he  laid. 
Then  bid  the  Saxon  share  his  plaid." 

And  side  by  side  these  two  lay  peacefully  down  and 
slept  until  the  morning. 

The  young  Sioux  in  the  camp  of  his  foes,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  feuds  that  caused  such  dire  disaster  in  the 
history  of  Romeo  and  Juliet,  and  brought  it  to  a  tragic 
end,  fell  in  love  with  one  of  the  Indian  maidens,  and  prom- 


94  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

ised  'ere  he  left  the  camp,  to  return  again  after  a  certain 
time  and  take  her  to  his  far  away  home  as  his  wife.  He 
departed.  Many  moons  passed.  Was  this  a  faithless  lover 
whose  vows  were  fickle  as  the  wind  as  it  swept  through 
the  forest?  Was  the  heart  of  the  Indian  like  that  of  the 
pale  face,  whose  fancies  are  changing  as  the  moon?  And 
the  heart  of  the  maiden  was  sad,  and  her  feet  were  no 
longer  swift  in  the  dance.  And  her  voice  was  heard  no 
more  when  the  young  made  merry  in  the  lodge. 

One  day  out  at  work  with  the  women,  a  peculiar 
whistle  was  heard  in  the  thicket  near  by,  and  the  maiden 
knew  that  her  lover  had  returned.  When  opportunity 
was  given  she  sought  him  and  they  fled  together,  fiercely 
pursued  by  her  people.  Taking  shelter  in  the  grotto, 
hoping  to  hide  there  until  escape  was  possible,  a  terrible 
storm  came  up  and  immense  stones  were  hurled  upon  and 
within  it,  which  caused  the  instant  death  of  those  who  had 
taken  shelter  therein.  The  Indians  ascribed  their  fate  to 
the  anger  of  the  Great  Spirit,  who  had  sent  the  storm  to 
punish  them. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Indian  Village— The  Lodges—"  Make  Soup  "—Costume— A  Snake 
"  Man-i-tou  "—Snake  Dance— Smoking  Horses— The  Wolf  and 
Bear  Dance — Mam-ma-kaw-shaw — War  Dance. 


The  large  Indian  village  is  in  close  proximity  to  the 
Iowa  river,  which  sometimes  overflows  and  threatens  it 
with  inundation.  It  contains  thirty  houses  in  all.  Some 
are  built  of  boards,  but  generally  they  are  of  logs  with  a 
thatched  roof,  or  in  the  form  of  a  wic^-i-up.  When  the 
river  is  high  the  only  way  of  crossing  is  in  a  canoe,  though 
the  Indians  will  ride  through  on  their  ponies,  when  they 
are  almost  submerged  in  water. 

In  the  interior  of  the  lodges  a  long  platform  at  each 
side  furnishes  beds  for  the  inmates  at  night,  or  a  place  to 
lounge  in  the  day  time.  A  certain  portion  is  always  al- 
lotted to  each  family,  in  which  they  keep  their  household 
goods,  etc.  Piled  up  at  each  side  are  baskets  of  every 
shape,  made  by  the  Indians  themselves,  in  which  are  stor- 
ed the  property  of  the  owners,  which  generally  consists  of 
calico,  ribbons,  beads,  feathers  and  paint.  Upon  this  plat- 
form the  women  sit  and  sew,  in  which  they  display  a  great 
deal  of  proficiency;  or  they  are  often  seen  making  articles 
of  bead  work  which  are  quite  handsome.  With  these  they 
decorate  their  persons. 


96  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

In  and  around  the  lodges  are  usually  a  large  number 
of  dogs  who  are  the  childrens'  playfellows,  grow  up  with 
them,  and  when  in  a  proper  condition  are  killed  and  con- 
stitute the  principal  dish  at  the  feasts.  At  one  time  on 
going  to  visit  a  lodge  a  savage  canine  flew  out,  making 
anything  but  agreeable  demonstrations  that  the  presence 
of  a  visitor  was  undesirable.  To  the  Indian  who  came  to 
the  rescue,  we  ventured  to  remark:  "  You  ought  to  kill 
that  dog,  he  is  too  cross." 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  briefly,  but  suggestively,  "after  a 
while,  make  soup." 

In  the  center  of  the  lodge  are  generally  two  or  more 
fires  upon  the  ground,  and  iron  kettles  are  hung  over  them 
when  needed,  on  chains  suspended  from  the  roof,  on  the 
ends  of  which  are  jmmense  hooks.  Here  the  dusky  maid- 
ens prepare  meals  for  the  inmates,  boil  their  potatoes, 
make  coffee,  or  seated  upon  the  ground  knead  their  cakes 
in  a  large  wooden  dish,  and  iry  them  in  grease.  (This  is 
the  only  kind  of  bread  ever  used  by  them).  Often  a  pile 
of  fifteen  or  twenty  cakes  are  kept  warm  by  the  fire, 
closely  watched  by  half  a  dozen  hungry  dogs,  who  are 
themselves  destined  at  some  future  time  to  furnish  a  savo- 
ry dish  which  will  delight  the  very  soul  of  the  red  man, 
who  picks  the  bones  of  his  faithful  canine  with  a  relish 
worthy  an  epicurean.  This  by  no  means  rare  delicacy  is 
also  heartily  partaken  of  by  women  and  children  whenever 
opportunity  is  given. 

The  costume  of  the  village  is  not  all  that  could  be  de- 
sired, especially  in  the  summer  months.  One  long,  loose 
garment  of  calico,  decorated  with  ribbons,  and  generally 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  97 

of  a  bright  hue,  called  a  "be-se-cah,"  is  all  the  Indian  boy 
wears  for  a  summer  costume,  and  even  this  is  often  dis- 
carded and  he  is  robed  by  nature  only,  as  dwelt  our  first 
parents  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  Many  of  the  Indians  also 
wear  as  little  dress  as  it  is  possible  to  imagine.  They  may 
possess  that  inward  sense  of  rectitude  that  has  a  contempt 
for  outward  appearance,  or  when  clothed  with  dignity 
may  consider  anything  else  superfluous,  but  even  those 
who  love  him  least  can  never  assert  that  the  red  man  is 
seen  minus  his  bracelets  and  earrings. 

The  dress  of  the  men  usually  consists  of  leggins,  a 
loose  shirt  gaily  decorated  with  ribbons,  and  a  hat  often 
ornamented  with  a  band  of  silver.  Beads  innumerable, 
and  the  usual  supply  of  silver  rings  and  bracelets  goes  to 
complete  this  brilliant  costume,  which,  however,  is  gener- 
ally hidden  from  view  by  the  blanket  that  all  wear. 

The  women  wear  skirts  and  leggins,  and  the  same  gar- 
ment, or  "be-se-tah"  which  is  worn  by  the  men.  Often 
upon  this  a  large  number  of  silver  ornaments  are  fastened. 
Beads,  gay  ribbons,  etc.,  are  also  conspicuous  in  their 
dress,  and  the  inevitable  blanket,  or  bright  shawl,  is  never 
forgotten.  Like  many  of  their  fairer  sisters  the  Indian 
maidens  delight  in  paint  and  distribute  it  with  a  lavish 
hand,  especially  on  some  festive  occasion.  A  bright  red 
spot  upon  each  cheek,  in  the  center  of  which  is  a  smaller 
blue  one,  is  considered  by  them  the  extreme  of  elegance. 

Social  life  in  the  village  is  very  primitive.  Visiting 
back  and  forth  in  the  tents,  or  lodges,  is  common,  and  here 
the  visitor  will  remain,  perhaps  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 
Those  who  have  no  home  of  their  own,  live  with  the  others 


98  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

and  are  made  welcome.  Among  the  Indians  there  are  no 
tramps  going  hither  and  thither  looking  for  a  meal,  for 
any  one  is  welcome  to  one  or  more.  Hospitality  is  one  of 
the  leading  features  of  Indian  life.  All  who  are  in  the 
lodge  sit  down,  as  a  matter  of  course,  with  or  without  a 
special  invitation,  and  partake  of  the  food  when  it  is  pre- 
pared. It  is  somewhat  curious  that  there  is  but  little  dis- 
agreement among  these  people,  who  live,  as  it  were,  al- 
most together,  several  families  always  occupying  one 
lodge.  It  would  almost  seem  that  in  itself  would  cause  dis- 
agreement, separate  interests  being  involved,  but  such  is  not 
the  case.  Undoubtedly  they  have  their  small  difficulties,  or 
jealousies  to  overcome,  as  every  community  has,  but  the 
result  is  generally  an  amicable  arrangement. 

Games  are  often  played  at  the  Indian  village,  especially 
the  game  of  La  Crosse.  Sides  are  taken,  generally  the 
young  men  against  the  old,  and  shouts  and  whoops  are 
heard  as  the  game  progresses,  and  the  excitement  is  high; 
sometimes  some  unlucky  Indian  gets  an  accidental  blow 
from  which  he  does  not  recover  for  some  time.  Thus  the 
noble  red  man  believes  in  amusing  himself,  and  is  also  not 
averse  to  being  amused.  On  the  occasion  of  a  circus, 
either  near  or  far  off,  they  attend  in  large  numbers.  Mon- 
ey is  always  forthcoming  for  a  show.  The  tinsel  and  the 
glitter  delight  their  very  souls,  and  the  feats  of  horseman- 
ship are  carefully  imitated  at  the  secluded  camp  when 
opportunity  occurs. 

Among  this  tribe  a  snake  is  "  Man-i-tou,"  or  sacred. 
An  old  tradition  has  it  that  they  once  made  a  treaty  with 
the  snake  that  neither  should  hurt  the  other,  so  that  the 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  99 

rights  of  his  snakeship  are  respected  in  the  camp,  and  if 
he  encroach  on  the  terms  of  the  treaty  and  appear  in  the 
tent  or  lodge,  he  is  politely  requested  to  leave.  If  this  is 
found  of  no  avail  in  effecting  the  desired  object,  he  is  then 
reminded  of  the  treaty  made  with  his  ancestors.  This 
generally  results  in  the  snake  gliding  out  of  the  tent  as 
stealthily  as  he  approached.  If  he  should  not  do  this  he  is 
gently  removed  by  the  Indian,  for  when  humanity  breaks 
its  pledges,  how  can  a  snake  be  expected  to  remember  and 
abide  by  the  agreement  made  by  some  old  ancestral  fogy 
in  the  days  of  yore?  One  fact,  however,  remains,  and  that 
is  that  it  is, very  rarely,  if  ever,  that  an  Indian  is  bitten  by 
a  snake.  It  is  possible  that  this  reverence  for  the  snake 
which  prevents  them  from  killing  one  may  have  been 
handed  down  as  a  part  of  tradition,  originating  in  the  story 
of  the  brazen  serpent  that  Moses  put  up  in  the  wilder- 
ness. 

The  snake,  or  serpent,  has  been  revered  and  used  as  a 
symbol  through  all  the  mythology  and  tradition  of  the  In- 
dian. He  is  supposed  by  many  to  be  an  evil  spirit,  and 
his  power  is  feared.  The  worship  of  the  rattlesnake  was 
at  one  time  almost  universal  among  all  tribes.  The  Win- 
nebagos  will  not  kill  a  rattlesnake,  neither  would  the  Flor- 
ida Indians,  and  the  Cherokees  formerly  worshipped  it. 
The  Shawnees  called  thunder  "the  hissing  of  an  immense 
snake."  There  is  also  the  good  Man-i-tou,  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  the  bad  Man-i-tou,  who  is  in  the  form  of  a  ser- 
pent, and  is  referred  to  by  civilized  tongues  as  the  Devil. 

"Who  is  Man-i-tou?"  was  once  the  query. 


IOO  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

"  He  who  is  as  a  serpent  walking  on  the  ground,"  was 
the  reply. 

The  Apaches  say  that  the  serpent  contains  the  soul  of 
a  bad  man ;  and  the  Piutes,  of  Nevada,  have  a  demon  de- 
ity, who  is  under  Pyramid  Lake,  and  they  believe  he 
makes  the  water  hiss  or  boil,  just  as  he  pleases. 

The  serpent  then  may  be  traced  downward  from  the 
garden  of  Eden,  where  he  made  himself  so  conspicuous 
that  he  was  in  future  identified  with  the  human  race. 
Many  relics  of  the  mound  builders  are  in  the  form  of  a 
snake  or  serpent,  while  history  teaches  that  it  has  been 
used  as  a  symbol  ever  since  the  world  was  new. 

Then  why  should  we  delve  among  the  cobwebs  of 
antiquity  in  the  vain  attempt  to  discover  some  stray 
crumbs  of  information  with  reference  to  the  origin  of  this 
people?  Why,  oh  why?  Why  should  our  brain  throb  in 
its  vain  endeavor  to  discover  the  solution  to  this  problem- 
atical question?  One  plain,  simple,  incontrovertible  fact, 
(were  that  only  forthcoming,)  would  sweep  the  cobwebs 
of  conjecture  from  the  door  of  reason  and  put  ideas  never 
dreamed  of  in  the  brain  of  the  student  of  ethnology.  Hu- 
manity is  not  infallible.  Errors  in  judgment,  errors  in 
everything,  is  the  record  of  its  history.  One  believes  sin- 
cerely what  another  steadily  opposes  and  condemns. 
There  are  two  sides  to  everything,  truth  and  falsehood, 
and  sometimes  they  are  so  closely  combined,  the  wisdom 
of  a  Solomon  could  scarce  detect  the  counterfeit  from  the 
true  coin.  The  deepest  researches  have  often  been  found 
insufficient  to  develop  one  ray  of  scientific  light,  and  the 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  IOI 

most  eloquent  and  thrilling  words  failed  to  accomplish  as 
much  as  the  simple  recital  of  a  truth. 

The  Pueblo  Indians  also  reverence  the  snake,  and  hold 
a  sacred  dance  in  its  honor,  the  first  part  of  the  ceremony 
consisting  mostly  of  chanting.  It  is  thus  described: 

"The  chant  was  kept  up  without  intermission  during 
the  entire  dance,  and  was  accompanied  by  a  peculiar  rhyth- 
mical swaying  motion  of  the  body.  Two  lines  of  men 
stood  opposite  each  other,  the  one  called  antelopes,  the 
other  snakes,  or  snake  men.  Each  carried  feather  wands 
in  their  hands,  and  occasionally  the  dance  stopped  and  pe- 
culiar gestures  were  made  with  the  wands.  The  perform- 
ance took  place  before  a  hut  partially  filled  with  snakes, 
and  when  the  feather  shaking  had  been  repeated  four 
times  the  snake  men  broke  line  and  grouped  themselves  in 
iront  of  the  door  of  the  hut.  A  moment  later  one  of  the 
3erformers  appeared  holding  a  snake  in  his  mouth.  A 
companion  was  with  him,  and  together  they  went  round 
the  circle  with  the  peculiar  step  of  the  dance,  the  one  man 
attracting  the  attention  of  the  snake  by  the  feather  wand 
to  keep  its  head  forward.  The  snake  is  held  between  the 
ips,  and  the  mouth  is  filled  with  sacred  meal  to  prevent 
the  teeth  from  hurting  it.  Round  and  round  they  go  amid 
the  applause  of  the  spectators,  and  when  the  snake  be- 
came unmanageable  he  was  dropped  out  of  the  mouth  to 
he  ground. 

"  Each  of  the  couples  described,  (and  there  were  many,) 
was  followed  by  a  man,  or  boy,  whose  duty  it  was  to  pick 
ip  the  snakes  as  they  were  dropped,  and  as  they  mani- 
ested  a  lively  disposition  the  position  was  no  sinecure. 


IO2  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

"The  second  figure  of  the  dance  occupied  about  twenty 
minutes,  and  was  a  weird  performance.  The  dismal  clank 
of  the  tortoise  shell  rattle,  and  the  energetic  action  of  the 
dancers,  secured  breathless  attention  on  the  part  of  the 
spectators.  The  latter  part  of  the  figure,  when  the  snakes 
had  accumulated  in  number  was  especially  interesting,  for 
as  one  was  dropped  from  the  mouth,  the  performer  was 
led  to  the  hut  for  a  fresh  one. 

"The  final  figure  was  the  most  exciting.  One  of  the 
Indians  going  to  one  side  drew  with  sacred  meal  a  circle 
about  thirteen  feet  in  circumference.  The  chant  suddenly 
ceased,  and  all  those  holding  snakes  made  a  rush  for  this 
circle  and  dropped  them  into  it.  The  snakes  formed  a 
writhing  mass,  nearly  filling  the  circle,  and  about  six  inches 
in  height.  The  snake  men  then  threw  themselves  into  the 
circle.  Each  man  seized  as  many  of  the  reptiles  as  he 
could  and  made  off  with  them  at  full  speed,  and  the  public 
part  of  the  ceremony  was  ended.  The  snakes  thus  car- 
ried were  then  taken  to  the  swamps  and  released  from 
further  duty." 

A  ceremony  called  smoking  horses  was  observed  by 
this  tribe  not  long  since.  It  was  most  demoralizing  in  its 
effects,  and  it  is  well  that  it  exists  now  in  remembrance  only, 
as  one  of  the  customs  of  the  past.  A  number  of  Indians 
belonging  to  some  friendly  tribe,  (generally  Winnebagos,) 
would  visit  the  Sac  and  Fox  at  a  stated  time.  Seated  in  a 
circle  the  smoking  began.  After  a  time  an  Indian  would 
appear  on  a  pony  and  ride  outside  the  circle  three  times  be- 
fore any  demonstration  was  made.  He  is  armed  with  a 
whip  and  club.  One  of  the  guests  springs  up,  and  taking 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  103 

hold  of  the  bridle,  endeavors  to  wrest  it  from  the  hand  of 
the  rider,  who,  meanwhile,  plies  his  club  vigorously  upon 
the  head  and  naked  back  of  his  opponent,  who,  if  he  con- 
tinues his  efforts  to  secure  the  pony  until  his  blood  flows 
in  the  contest,  it  is  then  given  over  to  him,  and  he  is  duly 
declared  the  victor,  and  "  to  the  victor  belong  the  spoils." 
This  is  continued  until  a  number  of  ponies  have  changed 
hands,  while  the  smoking  goes  on,  and  the  savage  scene 
is  duly  enjoyed  by  large  numbers  of  spectators. 

The  national  dance  and  feast,  common  in  the  earlier 
history  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  is  here  described: 

"The  large  square  in  the  village  is  swept  and  prepared 
for  the  purpose  of  dancing.  The  Chiefs  and  old  warriors 
take  seats  on  mats,  the  drummers  and  singers  come  nex  , 
and  the  braves  and  women  sit  at  the  sides.  The  drum 
beats  and  the  singers  commence.  A  warrior  enters  the 
square  keeping  time  with  the  music.  He  shows  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  started  on  a  war  party;  how  he  approach- 
ed the  enemy.  He  strikes  and  demonstrates  the  way  he 
killed  him.  All  join  in  applause.  He  then  leaves  and  an- 
other enters  and  takes  his  place.  Such  of  our  young  men 
as  have  not  been  out  with  war  parties  and  killed  an  ene- 
my stand  back  ashamed,  for  they  are  not  allowed  to  enter 
the  square." 

The  Wolf  and  the  Bear  dance  are  now  held  among 
the  Musquakies,  the  movements  of  these  animals  being 
copied  as  nearly  as  possible  by  the  dancers.  Another 
dance,  called  "  Mam-ma-kah-shaw,"  or  the  Mule  dance,  is 
very  popular,  and  is  the  only  one  in  which  the  women 
take  part  with  the  men,  which  is  the  only  occasion  in 


104  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

which  they  wait  upon  the  women  and  show  them  any  at- 
tention or  respect.  Presents  are  given  by  the  men  to  the 
women,  and  as  this  dance  continues  several  nights,  at  an- 
other time  the  women  give  presents  to  the  men.  After 
the  dancing  is  ended  they  have  a  banquet  and  feast  until 
morning.  We  should  not  imagine  the  Mam-ma-kaw-shaw, 
or  green  corn  dance,  as  it  is  often  called,  to  be  an  elevating 
or  moral  spectacle.  The  war  dance  is  also  an  important 
occurrence  in  the  village,  as  it  is  somewhat  uncommon. 
The  residents  assemble  in  one  place,  while  a  feast  is  pro- 
vided for  all.  The  Indians  are  painted  and  dressed  in  their 
most  fantastic  style.  A  post  is  in  the  ground  and  the  sing- 
ers and  drummers  are  seated  near.  The  music  and  the 
dancers  start  simultaneously.  After  dancing  for  a  while 
they  suddenly  stop.  Then  an  Indian  started  up,  and  with 
his  war  club  struck  the  post,  while  he  related  the  princi- 
pal incidents  of  his  life.  How  many  battles  he  had  seen, 
or  taken  part  in,  or  how  many  enemies  killed.  He  tells 
the  truth  without  much  embellishment.  If,  however,  he 
boasted  of  deeds  never  performed,  some  of  his  hearers 
would  remind  him  of  the  fact.  Formerly,  if  a  warrior  let 
his  imagination  get  the  better  of  his  veracity,  on  this  oc- 
casion, an  Indian  arose  and  threw  dirt  in  his  face,  exclaim- 
ing, "Cover  up  your  shame, .you  are  a  liar  and  a  coward, 
and  if  you  saw  an  enemy  you  would  run/'  Only  a  few  of 
the  Musquakies  have  been  warriors,  so  that  the  speakers 
are  few,  and  all  of  them  old  men. 

Now  see  the  warriors  all  advance, 
And  dressed  and  painted  for  the  dance, 
And  sounding  club  and  hollow  skin, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  IC>5 

A  slow  and  measured  time  begin, 

With  rigid  limb  and  sliding  foot, 

And  murmurs  low  the  time  to  suit, 

Forever  varying  with  the  sound, 

The  circling  band  moves  round  and  round. 

Now  slowly  rise  the  swelling  notes, 

When  every  crest  more  lively  floats, 

Now  tossed  on  high  with  gesture  proud, 

Then  lowly  'mid  the  circle  bowed, 

While  clanging  arms  grow  louder  still, 

And  every  voice  becomes  more  shrill; 

'Till  fierce  and  strong  the  clamor  grows, 

And  the  wild  war  whoop  bids  it  close, 

Then  starts  Mate-tau-qua  forth  whose  band 

Came  far  from  Mississippi's  strand, 

And  then  recounts  his  battle  feats,  .•«> 

While  his  war  club  the  measure  beats. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Divided  into  Bands— Chiefs  and  Councilors— Work  of  the  Women 
—The  Old  Council  Room. 

Four  clans,  or  bands,  formerly  constituted  this  branch 
of  the  Indians.  The  Wolf,  Bear,  Buffalo  and  Elk,  each  of 
whom  have  the  right  to  a  Chief,  but  three  alone  are  now 
represented.  About  a  year  and  a  half  since,  Wau-com-mo, 
the  head  Chief,  died.  By  hereditary  right  the  Chieftain- 
ship falls  upon  O-one-e,  a  boy  about  thirteen  years  of  age, 
who  is  too  young  to  assume  the  responsibility. 

Mate-tau-quu,  whose  name  signifies  General,  or  Lead- 
er, is  the  most  prominent  of  the  Chiefs.  He  was  formerly 
a  war  leader.  He  transacts,  (with  the  aid  of  the  others,) 
the  whole  business  of  the  tribe,  and  his  voice  is  more  fre- 
quently heard  in  the  council  than  any  other  Chief.  He  is 
an  old  man,  but  tall  and  lithe,  with  a  piercing  eye,  and  in 
his  earlier  days  was  a  great  hunter.  Dear  to  his  soul  is 
the  fragant  tobacco,  whose  fumes  give  inspiration  to  his 
tongue  and  comfort  to  his  heart,  helping  him  to  bear  with 
calmness  the  adverse  decrees  of  fate.  Sometime  since 
Mate-tau-qua  lost  his  wife,  for  whom  he  sincerely  mourned, 
wearing  old  clothing  (which  is  one  of  their  customs)  in 
token  of  his  grief.  He  is  friendly  to  those  he  knows,  will 
give  you  a  cordial  grasp  of  the  hand  and  a  pleasant  smile. 
On  important  occasions  Mate-tau-qua  appears  in  his 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  IO7 

"  dress  suit."  This  consists  of  moccasins  and  buckskin 
leggins,  bracelets  around  his  wrists,  and  on  his  neck  a 
necklace  of  bear's  claws.  Perhaps  one  or  two  feathers 
occupy  an  upright  position  at  the  back  of  his  head,  or  he 
wears  a  fur  band  instead  of  a  cap,  which  is  gaily  orna- 
mented with  bead  work.  As  may  be  seen,  a  blanket  with 
this  style  of  costume  is  indispensible,  and  with  the  usual 
quantity  of  paint,  goes  to  complete  his  dress. 

Poshe-to-neke,  the  second  Chief,  is  tall  and  stately,  with 
a  dignified  manner  and  calm  speech.  He  is  about  forty- 
five  years  of  age,  and  is  popular  in  the  tribe.  Were  it  not 
for  the  censure  of  the  older  Indians,  which  by  so  doing  he 
would  bring  upon  him,  Poshe-to-neke  would  be  inclined 
to  favor,  to  some  extent,  the  education  and  progression  of 
the  children.  He  is  less  bigoted  than  the  average  Indian, 
is  more  easily  approached,  and  if  not  open  to  conviction 
himself,  will  at  least  listen  to  the  convictions  of  others.  He 
is  a  fine  looking  Indian,  and  has  a  rude  dignity  and  grace 
that  is  especially  characteristic  of  him. 

An-no-waut,  the  third  Chief,  is  remarkable  for — noth- 
ing. He  is  slow  of  speech  and  his  voice  is  seldom  heard 
in  the  council  of  the  braves.  An-no-waut  impresses  the 
beholder  with  the  idea  that  he  is  constantly  struggling  with 
an  idea,  is  just  on  the  point  of  grasping  it,  when  it  sud- 
denly eludes  him  and  disappears.  Before  the  death  of  the 
old  Chief,  Wau-com-mo,  An-no-waut  was  Chief  in  name 
alone,  and  in  the  council  but  a  spectator.  Since  that  time 
he  has  risen  to  greater  prominence.  He  usually  wears  a 
bright  colored  scarf  wound  around  his  head  like  a  turban, 
and  the  rest  of  his  dress  is  made  up  largely  of  gay  colored 


IO8  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

calico,  silver  ornaments,  ribbons  and  beads.  Muk-que- 
posh-e-to,  a  young  man  about  thirty  years  of  age,  and  in 
color  almost  white,  is  a  Chief  by  hereditary  right.  He 
does  not  act  as  such,  and  is  not  invested  with  any  power, 
as  the  tribe  do  not  consider  he  possesses  the  necessary 
qualifications  required  for  the  office. 

Three  councilors,  with  the  Chiefs,  form  the  governing 
power  of  the  tribe.  These  are  respectively  Wau-wau-to- 
sah,  (who  is  usually  the  spokesman  of  the  party,)  Wau- 
pel-low-kah  and  Phi-ap-po-co.  Wau-wau-to-sah  is  one  of 
the  chronic  objectors,  and  will  object  to  almost  anything, 
at  first,  on  principle.  Did  he  understand  the  intricacies  of 
politics,  he  would  certainly  endorse  the  Greenback  party. 
In  making  a  speech  he  frequently  repeats  his  remarks 
over  and  over  again,  and  is  a  long  time  coming  to  the  end, 
and  even  when  he  reaches  there  becomes  absent  minded 
and  again  begins  at  the  starting  point.  This  peculiarity, 
while  affording  the  speaker  a  good  deal  of  satisfaction,  does 
not  have  the  same  effect  on  his  hearers.  Wau-wau-to-sah 
is  obstinate  and  bigoted,  but  if  once  your  friend  will  always 
remain  so. 

Wau-pel-low-kah  is  a  good  Indian,  progressive,  willing 
to  work,  and  as  an  evidence  of  his  wisdom  has  but  little 
to  say.  Phi-ap-po-co  is  a  mild,  inoffensive  old  man,  has 
still  less  to  say,  and  follows  always  in  the  wake  of  the 
stronger  minds.  (Since  first  writing  the  above  Phi-ap-po- 
co  has  gone  to  the  great  council,  where  many  voices  are 
heard,  and  his  place  is  filled  by  another). 

The  Indian  women  do  the  most  laborious  of  the  work, 
often  cutting  wood  and  carrying  it  on  their  backs  to  the 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  IOC) 

lodge,  while  the  dusky  braves  to  whom  they  are  more 
than  "helpmeets"  stay  comfortably  at  home,  very  proba- 
bly engaged  in  card  playing;  also  in  the  field  many  more 
women  can  be  seen  working  than  men,  there  being  com- 
•paratively  but  a  few  men  who  will  condescend  to  anything 
of  the  nature  of  work.  The  Indian  generally,  before  he  is 
under  the  influence  of  civilization,  considers  labor  a  dis- 
grace, and  it  is  often  a  mammoth  undertaking  to  persuade 
him  to  the  contrary.  They  have  no  ambition,  therefore 
no  desire  to  improve  their  condition  in  any  way.  Unlike 
the  whites,  the  desire  for  advancement  must  first  be  crea- 
ted, before  instruction  can  follow.  This  has  so  far  been 
found  one  of  the  great  obstacles  to  their  civilization. 

The  councils  of  the  Indians  were  usually  held  in  the 
school  building,  but  different  arrangements  having  been 
made  during  the  past  year,  its  walls  re-echo  no  more  to 
the  voice  of  the  red  man,  and  his  footstep  goes  not  over 
the  trail  to  the  old  council  chamber. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Tecanna— Dog  Soup— Invited  Guests— A  Green  Stick— The 
Orchestra — The  Dance — The  Indian  Belle — Prayer. 

The  ordinances  of  worship  mentioned  in  a  preceding 
chapter  are  very  generally  observed  at  the  Indian  village 
at  the  present  time,  especially  that  of  the  feast  and  dance, 
with  their  attendant  ceremonies,  or  in  Indian  phraseology, 
the  tecanna.  The  first  meeting  begins  at  the  time  of  corn 
planting,  and  is  continued  for  some  weeks.  This  is  for  the 
purpose  of  offering  prayers  to  the  Great  Spirit  for  a  good 
crop.  After  harvest  another  series  of  meetings,  or  tecan- 
nas,  are  held,  sometimes  two  or  three  a  week.  These  are 
generally  at  the  lodges  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the 
tribe,  every  band  being  represented,  at  some  time  or  other. 
The  entertainer  provides  the  dog  soup,  and  other  dainties 
which  constitute  the  feast.  Chicken  or  turkey  is  always 
secured,  if  possible,  to  give  variety  to  the  bill  of  fare.  It 
is  the  custom  of  the  Indian  to  eat  on  all  occasions,  when- 
ever opportunity  presents  itself,  and  this  is  not  supposed 
to  take  away  any  of  the  sacredness  of  the  tecanna  and  its 
ceremonies.  As  it  generally  lasts  the  greater  portion  of 
the  day,  and  is  attended  with  violent  exercise,  the  "  feast " 
seems  almost  a  necessity,  and  the  sacrificial  dog  is  sup- 
posed to  afford  sustenance  to  both  soul  and  body. 

The  lodge  is  prepared  early  in  the  morning,  the  women 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  Ill 

and  children  afterward  leaving.  The  guests  are  then  in- 
vited by  a  green  stick  being  left  with  each.  The  feast  is 
made  ready,  and  the  order  of  service  is  like  that  mentioned 
as  set  down  by  ordinance. 

The  Indians  invited  to  the  tecanna  take  a  large  wooden 
bowl  and  ladle,  (like  what  is  commonly  used  for  making 
butter,)  in  which  to  hold  their  portion  of  the  feast.  Each 
man  carries  his  own  dish,  and  if  this  has  been  forgotten, 
will  go  out  while  there  is  a  lull  in  the  proceedings  and  get 
it.  There  is  something  ludicrous  in  the  sight  of  a  tall  In- 
dian, made  hideous  with  paint,  his  head  decked  with  feath- 
ers, and  wrapped  in  a  gaily  embroidered  blanket,  walking 
quickly  forward  on  the  return  journey,  bearing  in  his  hand 
a  huge  wooden  dish  and  ladle  which  is  to  hold  a  portion  of 
the  dog,  sacrificed  for  the  occasion,  and  if  he  is  the  guest 
to  whom  honor  is  intended  to  be  shown,  his  dish  will  con- 
tain the  head,  and  probably  as  he  dissects  the  brain,  or  lin- 
gers on  the  choice  picking  of  the  ear,  his  soul  thrills  with 
pride  at  this  mark  of  favor  accorded  him.  During  the 
first  part  of  the  service  no  one  is  allowed  in  the  lodge,  (the 
entrance  to  which  is  closed  up,)  excepting  those  who  have 
received  an  invitation  to  be  present,  and  are  taking  part  in 
the  chanting,  etc.,  as  the  older  ones  are  expected  to  do, 
and  this  is  continued  for  many  hours.  At  length  a  long 
shrill  blast  is  blown.  This  is  the  signal  that  the  dancing  is 
soon  to  commence.  The  matting,  which  has  been  hung 
at  the  opening  of  the  lodge,  is  then  removed  and  old  and 
young  rush  forward  to  behold  the  dance. 

Upon     the     platform     that    runs    the    whole    length 
of    the    lodge    on    either     side,     a     number    of    Indians 


112  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

are  seated,  their  faces  streaked  with  paint  of  many  a 
hue,  wearing  some  fantastic  head  gear,  and  all  chanting 
in  discordant  tone,  while  some  beat  upon  drums  and  others 
held  gourds  full  of  beans  in  their  hands,  which  they  shook 
frantically  to  and  fro.  This  was  the  orchestra,  and  these 
their  instruments. 

The  language  used  in  these  sacred  chants,  or  songs,  is 
altogether  different  to  that  used  in  the  ordinary  intercourse 
of  life,  and  is  never  spoken  at  any  other  time,  excepting 
when  a  religious  service  is  held. 

And  now  the  dancers  have  taken  their  places,  one  be- 
hind the  other,  and  ready  to  dance  around  the  lodge  in  a 
circle.  The  first  is  a  stalwart  Indian,  whose  great  muscu- 
lar strength  can  be  seen  in  his  bare  arms,  which  he  moves 
to  and  fro  in  the  wild  motion  of  the  dance.  He  is  naked 
to  the  waist,  and  daubs  of  paint  are  on  his  body,  which 
are  formed  into  grotesque  figures.  His  arms  are  encir- 
cled by  several  bands  of  silver,  and  on  his  wrists  are  heavy 
bracelets  of  the  same  material,  while  around  his  gay  col- 
ored leggins  are  hung  little  bells,  which  jingle  with  every 
movement.  Upon  his  head  are  eagle  feathers;  around  his 
neck  is  a  string,  or  necklace,  of  bear's  claws;  and  in  his 
hand  he  bears  a  war  club,  upon  the  end  of  which  a  large 
black  bird,  probably  a  hawk,  is  suspended  by  its  beak, 
and  as  he  carries  it  proudly  before  him,  it  brings  to  our 
mind  the  raven,  "that  ghastly  grim,  and  ominous  bird  of 
yore,"  and  we  wonder  if  this,  when  living,  was  not  its 
counterpart.  Truly  it  seems  to  accord  better  with  the  bar- 
baric dance  than  with  the  "violet  velvet  cushion  that  the 
lamp  light  gloated  o'er." 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

Next  to  the  leader  comes  a  woman,  handsomely  dress- 
ed in  broadcloth,  gaily  ornamented  with  many  different 
colored  silks  and  gay  ribbons,  and  the  loose  garment 
which  is  always  worn  above  the  skirt,  profusely  decora- 
ted with  silver  ornaments  and  beads.  She  is  some  "priest- 
ess of  the  faith,"  and  is  therefore  allowed  to  take  her  place 
next  to  the  leader. 

Another  Indian  follows,  and  still  another,  with  greater 
varieties  in  the  matter  of  costume.  Some  of  them  step 
with  the  proud  grace  of  an  ancient  Roman  senator,  and 
are  clad  with  dignity,  but  not  much  else.  They  consider 
it  a  mark  of  respect  shown  the  Great  Spirit  to  wear  as 
little  clothing  as  possible  on  these  occasions.  The  women, 
however,  are  different.  They  wear  all  that  they  conven- 
iently, or  inconveniently,  can. 

With  hideous  contortions  of  the  body  the  Indians  move 
onward,  sometimes  with  stealthy  step,  and  again  with  a 
rushing  sort  of  motion.  The  step  of  the  women  is  quite 
different.  They  have  a  peculiar  jump  that  moves  their 
whole  bodies  every  step  that  is  taken.  This  is  very  vio- 
lent exercise,  and  little  rivulets  of  perspiration  course  each 
other  down  swarthy  cheeks,  making  sad  havoc  with 
the  colors  placed  there,  that  at  first  looked  like  the  varied 
tints  of  the  rainbow. 

A  solemn  look  usually  dwells  on  the  faces  of  the  dan- 
cers, and  the  eyes  of  the  women  are  generally  bent  dis- 
creetly on  the  ground.  Little  children  also  take  part  in 
this  ceremony.  Almost  in  a  state  of  nudity,  with  paint, 
beads,  etc.,  and  all  the  paraphernalia  of  ornament  that  goes 


114  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

to  the  occasion,  they  look  like  sacrificial  victims  about  to 
be  offered  up  on  some  Druidical  shrine. 

These  meetings  are  always  held  at  some  lodge  in  the 
village,  which  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
and  can  be  easily  forded  when  low.  In  the  morning 
you  ma}'  see  the  squaws,  young  and  old,  from  the  settle- 
ment on  the  opposite  side,  wending  their  way  on  foot  to 
the  scene  of  action.  On  their  back,  wrapped  in  a  shawl 
or  blanket  they  carry  their  best  clothing.  Who  can  tell 
but  a  thrill  of  pride  makes  the  blood  flow  thicker  through 
dull  veins  as  they  survey  their  appearance  by  the  limited 
aid  of  a  hand  glass,  which  nearly  all  carry?  The  dear  de- 
light of  being  well  dressed,  and  eclipsing  some  rival,  may 
even  animate  the  heart  of  the  feminine  Musquakie,  for  the 
feminine  heart  is  a  mystery,  whether  it  throbs  in  the  anat- 
omy of  a  white  woman,  or  that  of  her  dusky  sister. 

But  out  from  the  lodge  comes  the  noise  of  the  chant- 
ing. A  female  voice  is  heard.  The  sound  rises 
higher  and  higher,  mingled  with  the  frantic  beating  of 
the  drums,  then  sinks  away  gradually  almost  into  silence. 
From  sunrise  to  sunset  is  the  time  usually  set  apart  for  the 
tecanna,  though  it  never  lasts  so  long  as  that.  About  four 
o'clock  it  usually  ends  with  another  dance,  when  the  par- 
ticipants depart  to  their  lodges,  tired  in  body,  but 
with  the  consciousness  that  they  have  performed  their  duty 
to  Man-i-tou,  asked  for  his  favor,  or  returned  thanks  for 
past  benefits.  Thus  with  a  blind  faith  the  poor  Indian  ob- 
serves the  ordinances  handed  down  by  tradition.  Simply 
as  a  child  he  receives  the  teachings  of  the  priest,  or  medi- 
cine man,  and  no  thought  of  doubt  enters  his  mind. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

To  illustrate  the  Indians  belief  in  the  efficacy  of  prayer 
and  reverence  in  a  supreme  power,  some  two  years  since 
an  old  Indian  watching  a  storm  coming  up,  which  he 
thought  would  burst  over  the  village  and  destroy  it,  imme- 
diately began  praying  to  the  Great  Spirit  to  avert  so 
dreadful  a  calamity.  Watching  the  two  clouds  which 
threatened  to  meet  above  him,  he  took  a  quantity  of  holy 
tobacco  and  set  it  on  fire  to  appease  the  fury  of  the  evil 
spirit  who  dwelt  in  the  wind  cloud,  exclaiming,  "  O,  thou 
Che-man-i-tou,  here  is  tobacco,  let  the  smoke  go  into  thy 
nostrils,  and  then  shalt  thou  hear  me  cry  to  thee.  Take 
on  the  storm  to  the  white  people,  and  let  it  not  come  to  the 
Indian  camp.  Great  Spirit,  thou  art  stronger  than  Che- 
man-i-tou,  (the  devil,)  take  away  the  storm  and  let  the  In- 
dians be  safe,  and  our  children  and  our  ponies."  The  storm 
passed  over,  and  the  old  man  asserted  it  to  be  in  answer  to 
his  prayer.  It  is  noticeable  he  asks  for  protection  for  the 
children  and  the  ponies,  probably  supposing  that  the 
squaws  were  able  to  look  after  themselves,  as  is  their  lot 
to  do. 

Among  this  tribe  may  be  found  subject  for  romance  or 
song.  Their  adherence  to  the  faith  of  their  forefathers, 
exemplified  in  the  strict  observance  of  rites  and  ceremo- 
nies, reminds  one  of  the  tales  of  olden  time,  when  the 
faithful  sang  their  songs  of  praise  and  devotion  in  stern 
and  inaccessible  wilds,  to  escape  persecution  and  death, 
which  even  there  often  followed  them.  These  people  pos- 
sess the  same  spirit  which  prompts  the  votaries  of  Jugger- 
naut to  fall  before  that  idol  and  let  its  wheels  pass  over 
their  quivering  bodies,  or  which  causes  the  follower  of 


Il6  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

Mahomet  to  drop  on  his  knees  when  the  bell  of  the  Mosque 
rings  the  hour  for  prayers,  lost  for  the  time  being  in  a 
spirit  of  devotion,  and  though  he  may  be  in  the  midst  of  a 
crowded  street,  affected  in  no  way  by  the  noise,  the  cu- 
pidity, or  the  ceaseless  clamor  of  "  life's  busy  mart,"  which 
is  powerless  to  win  one  thought  from  his  devotions. 

So  the  Indian  faithfully  observes  the  rites  and  ceremo- 
nies handed  down  by  tradition  and  symbol,  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  They  are  sacred  in  his  eyes.  To  in- 
terfere with  them  excites  his  deepest  resentment.  They 
are  interwoven  with  his  nature,  and  are  a  part  of  his  very 
being. 

When  the  eyes  of  the  child  first  become  conscious  of 
its  surroundings,  and  rays  of  understanding  illumine  its 
brain,  it  is  taught  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  is  inspired  with 
awe  at  the  unknown  mysteries  of  the  Mi-a-shaum  and  the 
ceremonies  of  the  tecanna,  and  thus  it  grows  up,  daily  in- 
fluenced by  the  same  feeling,  until  this  feeling  becomes 
almost  a  part  of  itself. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Grave  Yard— Ceremonies  at  the  Lodge— A  rfick  Child— A  Fu- 
neral—Burial of  a  Warrior— The  Belief  of  the  Indian— Fires 
on  the  C4rave— k>  Day  Star''— Burial  of  Black  Hawk— "Here 
They  Rest." 

The  custom  among  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  is  to  have 
their  burial  ground  located  on  a  high  elevation  of  land. 
Following  a  winding  path  you  make  the  ascent  to  the  top 
of  the  high  hill,  and  at  length  reach  the  Indian  grave  yard. 
The  graves  are  not  very  many,  for  there  is  also  another 
burial  ground  about  half  a  mile  distant.  Large  posts,  or 
slabs  of  wood,  are  piled  up  lengthwise  upon  each  grave, 
to  the  distance  of  several  feet.  Around  one  is  a  neat  white 
fence.  This  is  over  the  grave  of  a  woman. 

At  the  head  of  the  smaller  mounds  you  will  find  the 
board  on  which  the  baby  was  strapped  by  the  mother  dur- 
ing its  earthly  existence.  At  the  top  is  a  narrow  strip  of 
wood  forming  an  arch,  upon  which  are  hung  little  bells,  or 
bright  shells,  used  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  child.  A 
tin  cup  may  often  be  seen  near  the  grave,  or  other  articles 
which  had  been  used  during  its  life. 

Further  on  the  white  flag  above  it  denotes  that  under- 
neath rests  the  body,  or  bones,  of  a  Chief.  Perhaps  a 
skeleton  at  the  head  of  the  grave  shows  that  a  dog  has 
been  killed  there  and  his  body  left  to  decay.  With  some 


Il8  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

tribes  it  has  been  customary  to  shoot  the  favorite  pony 
over  the  grave  of  his  master. 

Long  years  since  these  Indians  placed  their  dead  bodies 
in  a  tree,  or  put  them  on  a  scaffold  erected  for  that  pur- 
pose, but  of  late  they  have  buried  in  the  ground,  and 
usually  in  a  box.  Imagine  taking  a  walk  through  the 
leafy  forest,  prepared  to  admire  nature  in  her  fairest  as- 
pect, coming  suddenly  upon  one  of  these  relics  of  human- 
ity; the  grinning  skull  embowered  among  the  leaves, 
and  the  skeleton  ringer  pointed  at  you  as  if  to  stay  your 
approach,  a  charnel  house  with  the  blue  sky  of  heaven  for 
a  canopy.  Such  an  experience  would  last  a  lifetime. 

Certain  ceremonies  are  held  at  the  lodge  of  the  sick 
person,  before  and  after  dissolution.  Some  of  the  priest- 
hood are  in  attendance,  and  the  man  or  woman  is  prepared 
for  the  approach  of  death,  by  being  dressed  in  their  best 
clothing,  while  the  face  receives  a  fresh  coat  of  paint.  All 
the  ornaments  they  possess  are  also  put  upon  them.  Loud 
praying,  or  chanting,  is  then  begun,  with  beating  of  drums, 
blowing  of  horns,  etc.  The  object  of  this  is  to  frighten 
the  evil  one  away  from  the  departing  spirit.  Knives,  and 
all  instruments  of  warfare,  are  then  removed  some  dis- 
tance from  the  lodge  that  the  good  spirit  may  not  fear  to 
enter,  also  to  show  submission  to  the  will  of  God.  After 
death  they  continue  to  chant  and  make  a  loud  noise,  often 
during  the  entire  night. 

An  incident  is  related  of  the  death  of  a  child  belonging 
to  one  of  Keokuk's  braves: 

"  The  child  had  been  severely  scalded,  and  the  party, 
who  were  on  one  of  their  roving  expeditions,  stopped  to 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  lip 

nurse  it,  it  being  then  in  an  almost  dying  condition,  and 
the  Indians  made  preparation  to  hold  such  religious  servi- 
ces over  it  as  they  supposed  would  secure  its  happy  ad- 
mission to  the  spirit  land.  For  this  purpose  they  set  up  a 
large  tent  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  near  the  house,  in  the  cen- 
ter of  which  they  placed  the  little  sufferer  on  a  bed.  See- 
ing there  was  no  hope  of  its  recovery,  and  that  it  must 
soon  die,  Keokuk  and  a  number  of  his  braves  seated  them- 
selves on  the  ground  in  a  circle  about  the  deathbed,  where 
they  performed  with  appropriate  solemnity  a  series  of  re- 
ligious exercises  until  the  child  died.  These  exercises 
seemed  to  be  principally  singing  and  prayer.  The  sing- 
ing was  somewhat  monotonous  in  tone,  with  a  constant 
repetition  of  certain  words,  and  was  accompanied  by  the 
rattling  of  a  gourd  of  beans  over  the  head  of  the  child  by 
one  appointed  for  the  duty.  This  was  intended  to  soothe 
the  spirit  in  its  exit  from  the  body  and  to  waft  it  happily 
away. 

"  When  the  chanting  ceased  the  worshippers  bowed 
themselves  forward,  their  heads  upon  their  knees,  and  cov- 
ering their  faces  with  their  hands,  and  thus  remaining  for 
some  moments  in  silent  prayer,  audible  only  in  an  occa- 
sional sigh  or  groan,  but  the  rattling  was  continued  with- 
out intermission;  at  the  proper  time  the  Chief  would  re- 
sume the  chant,  and  the  others  rise  to  a  sitting  posture 
and  join  in  it.  This  they  continued  to  do  for  several  hours, 
with  great  earnestness  and  patience,  and  until  the  spirit  of 
the  little  one  had  taken  its  departure.  So  intent  were  they 
in  their  devotions  that  the}'  appeared  to  take  no  notice  of 


120  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

visitors,  several  of  whom  came  to  the  door  of  the  tent  to 
witness  the  strange  ceremony. 

Who  will  say  that  such  sincerity  and  such  faith,  though 
unattended  by  the  light  of  Christianity  will  not  be  reward- 
ed by  He  who  knows  the  heart,  and  who  will  undoubtedly 
make  due  allowance  for  the  errors  of  unavoidable  igno- 
rance. After  the  child  was  dead  immediate  preparations 
were  made  for  the  funeral.  It  was  the  intention  of  the 
friends  to  dispose  of  the  body  after  the  singular  custom 
practiced  by  their  people  in  the  disposal  of  the  dead;  that 
is  by  tying  it  in  a  tree,  they  were,  however,  prevailed  on 
to  bury  in  the  ground. 

"  When  all  that  remained  of  the  child  was  hidden  away 
from  him,  the  grief  stricken  father  gave  vent  to  the  sor- 
row of  his  heart  in  a  prayer  of  faith  that  might  well  have 
become  a  Christian.  He  asked  the  Great  Spirit  to  take 
good  care  of  the  little  one.  He  was  very  sorry  to  give 
him  up,  but  said,  "You,  God,  know  best,  and  I  know  he 
will  be  happy  with  You.'" 

The  Indians  do  not  like  the  attendance  of  white  persons 
at  their  funeral  ceremonies.  One  morning  seeing  a  pro- 
cession winding  its  way  up  the  hill  side  we  concluded  to 
follow.  Four  Indians  carried  the  corpse,  (which  was  a 
woman,)  in  a  blanket,  her  moccasined  feet  sticking  out  at 
one  end.  After  asking  permission  to  attend,  which  was 
graciously  accorded,  we  became  one  of  the  followers. 
Through  tangled  brushwood,  and  past  the  haunts  of  the 
rattle  snake,  whose  warning  rattle  rang  out  as  the  proces- 
sion halted  to  rest,  we  went.  Small  snakes  glided  hastily 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  121 

away  from  under  our  very  feet  as  we  approached,  anxious 
to  shun  the  presence  of  the  intruder. 

Reaching  at  length  the  place  of  the  dead,  the  corpse 
was  laid  upon  the  earth,  still  wrapped  in  the  blanket.  It 
was  then  put  into  a  large  box  and  lowered  into  the  grave. 
At  the  feet  was  a  small  tin  pail  containing  water;  a  quan- 
tity of  corn  was  also  placed  in  the  box,  with  several  arti- 
cles of  wearing  apparel,  the  whole  being  then  covered  over 
with  matting.  One  of  the  priesthood  knelt  at  the  top  of 
the  grave  and  addressed  the  departed  spirit,  telling  of  its 
future  happiness,  or  sending  a  message  to  be  delivered  on 
the  farther  shore,  a  solemn  look,  meanwhile,  and  an  air 
of  awe  dwelling  on  the  faces  of  the  assembly.  While 
speaking  small  quantities  of  holy  tobacco  are  cast  into  the 
grave. 

The  Indian  at  the  foot  of  the  grave  now  offered  a 
prayer,  throwing  in  tobacco  at  the  same  time.  Then  the 
women  and  children  present  circled  round,  each  casting  in 
a  small  portion  of  the  same  weed.  We  have  not  learned 
what  peculiar  advantage  is  expected  from  the  use  of  to- 
bacco. Whether  it  is  used  as  an  offering  to  some  spirit, 
or  on  the  same  principle  that  some  denominations  use  holy 
water.  A  portion  of  land  is  always  set  apart  to  grow  this 
tobacco,  and  it  is  cultivated  with  the  greatest  care  by  one 
or  more  of  the  priesthood,  and  is  used  only  when  worship 
of  any  kind  is  held. 

The  burial  ceremonies  of  a  warrior  are  a  little  more 
elaborate.  Then  one  of  his  comrades  takes  the  war  club 
in  his  hand,  while  he  recounts  the  heroic  deeds  of  the  de- 
parted in  the  field  or  chase,  or  tells  how  many  times  he  was 


122  TWO 


SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 


victorious  in  battle,  and  the  number  of  scalps  that  hung  at 
his  belt  during  a  long  lifetime.  At  the  conclusion  anoth- 
er warrior  arises  and  offers  a  eulogy  to  the  dead;  perhaps 
another  and  still  another  in  the  same  strain,  but  all  while 
speaking  cast  upon  the  body  of  the  dead  man  the  magic 
tobacco. 

In  olden  time,  when  war  was  common,  in  burying  a 
brave  a  warrior  while  waving  his  war  club  above  the 
grave  would  thus  address  his  departed  friend:  "My 
friend,  I  have  been  successful  in  battle,  I  have  killed  many 
enemies,  and  I  give  you  their  spirits,  take  them  with  you 
and  let  them  work  for  you  and  be  your  slaves  when  you 
reach  the  happy  land." 

The  belief  that  the  spirit  of  the  dead  remains  a  few 
days  around  the  lodge  'ere  it  takes  its  final  departure,  is 
prevalent.  With  some  its  journey  is  supposed  to  be  over 
a  vast  prairie  surrounded  by  woods,  between  which  is  a 
deep  and  rapid  stream  of  water,  across  this  there  is  a  plank 
which  is  kept  in  continual  motion  by  the  current.  The 
spirit  is  obliged  to  cross  over  on  the  pole,  and  if  it  is  a 
good  spirit  it  will  get  over  safely,  and  dwell  with  other 
good  spirits  of  relatives  and  friends  who  have  gone  before, 
but  if  it  has  belonged  to  a  wicked  person  in  this  world,  it 
will  be  cast  oft  the  plank  and  taken  by  the  current  down- 
ward to  where  only  evil  spirits  dwell. 

Presents,  or  messages  are  taken  by  the  departed  spirit 
from  friends  here  to  friends  on  the  other  shore;  and  items 
of  news  pertaining  to  some  warlike  deed,  or  successful 
hunt,  or  it  may.be  the  number  of  enemies  killed  in  battle, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  123 

are  told  the  spirit  at  the  grave,  to  be  repeated  to  admiring 
friends  when  the  journey  is  completed. 

"But  when  the  warrior  dieth, 

His  comrades  in  the  war, 
With  arms  reversed  and  muffled  drum, 

Follow  the  funeral  car; 
They  tell  the  banners  taken, 

They  speak  his  great  deeds  won, 
And  after  him  lead  his  masterless  steed, 

While  peals  the  minute  gun." 

The  body  is  always  buried  as  soon  as  possible  after 
death.  The  offerings  placed  in  the  box,  or  coffin,  intended 
to  propitiate  the  evil  spirit  and  make  him  willing  to  let  the 
soul  pass  over  the  river  into  the  blessed  land,  where,  if  a 
warrior,  he  will  hunt  and  fish,  and  roam  over  the  eternal 
plains  whose  vastness  is  incomprehensible;  or,  if  a  squaw, 
she  will  dwell  forever  in  the  wigwams  of  the  blessed,  be- 
side the  waters  of  eternal  peace. 

Said  an  Indian  in  speaking  on  this  subject  in  answer  to 
our  eager  inquiries: 

"After  Injun  die,  he  have  to  cross  big  river,  it  is  black 
and  treacherous,  and  the  current  is  swift.  No  trees  are 
there.  You  cannot  hide.  (The  trees  are  across  the  river). 
Even  your  blanket  does  not  cover  you.  It  is  all  dark,  but 
a  light  shines  over  from  the  other  side.  The  Great  Spirit 
knows  you  are  coming.  He  throws  over  a  plank  that 
rests  upon  the  high  wide  banks  that  you  may  cross  over 
in  safety,  but  at  one  end  stands  the  evil  spirit.  He  will  not 
let  you  pass.  You  cannot  fight.  You  have  no  tomahawk 
and  your  hand  is  weak.  You  have  with  you  a  present, 


124  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

perhaps  a  bottle  of  fire-water.  You  give  it  to  the  evil 
spirit,  and  while  he  is  drinking  you  run  over  to  the  other 
side  and  the  Great  Spirit  pulls  back  the  plank  so  that  he 
cannot  follow,  or  if  you  take  him  corn  he  lets  you  pass 
over." 

So  the  poor  Indian  puts  gifts  into  the  grave  not  know- 
ing, or  not  believing  that  propitiation  has  already  been 
made,  and  an  offering  given  "without  money  and  without 
price,"  that  will  ensure  his  entrance  to  the  land  of  peace. 

The  Indians  do  not  often  refer  to  the  dead.  They  will 
mention  the  departed  only  with  few  words,  and  with  a 
kind  of  superstitious  awe.  Have  we  not  all  that  strange 
dread  of  death,  excepting,  perhaps,  those  who  are  familiar 
with  it  in  every  phase,  and  look  upon  it  only  through  the 
eye  of  science  as  the  result  of  certain  conditions  of  the 
body?  The  women  often  wail  all  night  over  the  graves 
of  the  dead,  their  shrill  voices  mingling  with  the  night 
breezes  and  sounding  strange  and  unearthly.  Night  after 
night,  and  often  during  the  day,  will  they  return  and  keep 
up  their  dreary  vigil.  Some  years  since  it  was  customary 
to  kindle  fires  upon  the  graves  of  the  dead.  Longfellow 
writes  of  the  burial  of  Min-ne-ha-ha: 

"  And  at  night  a  fire  was  kindled, 
On  her  grave  four  times  was  kindled, 
For  to  light  her  on  her  journey, 
To  the  islands  of  the  Blessed." 

Undoubtedly  at  an  early  age  this  custom  has  been  ob- 
served by  most  tribes.  A  light  is  furnished  by  earthly 
love  to  illumine  the  darkness  of  death  until  the  bright 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  125 

beams  of  Paradise  shall  burst  upon  the  dazzled  sight. 
Even  in  civilization  the  faith  of  many  teaches  them  to  put 
lighted  candles  around  the  dead.  This,  however,  is  pecu- 
culiarly  suggestive  to  the  Indian,  who  believes  that  it  is 
some  time  after  the  spirit  leaves  the  body  before  it  enters 
heaven,  for  this  reason  thinking  it  may  need  refreshment 
by  the  way  they  put  food  and  water  in  the  coffin,  as  well 
for  this  object  as  the  one  before  mentioned. 

It  is  somewhat  curious  to  read  the  customs  of  different 
people,  as  regards  the  burial  of  the  dead,  or  in  memory  of 
them.  For  instance  the  Mohammedans  go  on  a  certain 
night  in  the  year  to  their  grave  yards,  which  are  generally 
situated  on  the  side  of  a  hill.  These  are  brilliantly  illu- 
minated for  the  occasion,  and  on  each  grave  a  choice  col- 
lation of  confectionery,  cakes,  etc.,  is  placed.  A  signal  is 
then  given  for  all  to  retire,  which  they  do  to  some  dis- 
tance, and  remain  away  for  several  hours.  After  the  time 
has  elapsed  they  again  return,  carry  off  the  cakes,  etc., 
upon  which  they  feast  for  some  days.  In  the  interval  that 
occurs  between  the  time  they  leave  and  return  again  to 
the  grave  yard,  they  believe  that  the  prophet,  accompa- 
nied by  their  departed  friends  and  relatives,  comes  down 
from  heaven  and  partakes  of  the  food  that  has  been  placed 
there. 

A  beautiful  and  touching  belief  is  that  of  the  Seneca 
Indians,  who  think  that  if  a  young  girl  dies,  when  a  white 
dove  is  let  loose  above  her  grave  it  will  not  rest  until  it 
seek  and  find  her  in  the  spirit  land.  A  little  poem  on  this 
fancy  illustrates  the  idea,  Day  Star  being  the  name  of  the 
departed  Indian  maiden: 


126  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

"  Speed  away,  speed  away  on  thine  errand  of  light, 
There's  a  young  heart  awaiting  thy  coming  to-night; 

She  will  fondle  thee  close.    She  will  ask  for  the  loved, 
Who  pine  upon  earth  since  their  Day-Star  has  roved; 

She  will  ask  if  they  miss  her,  so  long  is  thy  stay, 
Speed  away,  speed  away. 

"And  oh,  wilt  thou  tell  her,  blest  bird  on  the  wing, 
That  her  mother  hath  ever  a  sad  song  to  sing; 

That  she  standeth  alone  in  the  still  quiet  night, 
And  her  fond  heart  goes  forth  to  that  being  of  light, 

Who  hath  slept  on  her  bosom,  but  who  would  not  stay, 
Speed  away,  speed  away. 

"  Go,  bird  of  the  silver  wing,  fetterless  now, 
Stoop  not  thy  bright  pinions  on  yon  mountain's  brow, 

But  hie  thee  away,  o'er  rock,  river  and  glen. 
Arid  find  our  young  Day  Star  'ere  night  come  again, 

Up!  onward!  let  nothing  thy  mission  delay, 
Speed  away,  speed  away." 

The  following  account  of  the  burial  ceremonies  of  the 
noted  Chief,  Black  Hawk,  is  taken  from  early  sketches  of 
Indians  of  the  northwest: 

"The  remains  were  interred  by  his  family  and  friends 
near  his  cabin  on  the  prairie.  The  body  was  placed  on  a 
board  or  slab,  set  up  in  an  inclining  position,  with  the  feet 
extending  into  the  ground  some  fifteen  inches,  and  the 
head  elevated  above  the  surface  some  three  feet  or  more. 
This  was  enclosed  by  placing  slabs  around  it  with  the 
ends  resting  on  the  ground,  and  meeting  at  the  top,  form- 
ing a  kind  of  vault.  The  whole  was  then  covered  with 
earth,  and  neatly  sodded.  At  the  head  of  the  grave  there 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  127 

was  a  flag  staff'  thirty  feet  high,  from  which  floated  the 
American  flag,  until  it  was  worn  out  by  the  wind.  Inter- 
red with  the  body  were  a  number  of  his  prized  and  long 
treasured  relics,  including  a  military  suit  presented  by 
Jackson's  cabinet,  a  sword  presented  by  Jackson  himself, 
a  cane  presented  by  Henry  Clay,  and  another  by  a  Brit- 
ish officer,  with  three  silver  medals,  given  by  President 
Jackson,  Quincy  Adams,  and  the  citizens  of  Boston. 

"Near  the  grave  a  large  post  was  set  in  the  ground,  on 
which  was  inscribed  in  Indian  characters,  symbols  com- 
memorating many  of  his  heroic  deeds.  The  grave  and 
flag  staff*  were  enclosed  by  a  circular  picket  fence.  Here 
the  body  remained  until  July,  1839,  when  it  disappeared, 
but  was  finally  found  in  the  possession  of  a  doctor.  Some 
difficulty  ensuing  with  the  relatives  of  Black  Hawk  on  ac- 
count of  its  removal  the  remains  were  eventually  placed 
in  a  museum  at  Burlington,  and  were  burned  when  the 
building  and  its  contents  were  destroyed  by  fire  some  years 
after." 

Several  accounts  have  been  given  of  the  burial  of  the 
great  Chief,  which  differ  somewhat  in  minor  matters,  the 
writers  probably  (as  writers  often  do)  letting  their  imagin- 
ation get  the  better  of  their  veracity. 

The  following  letter  from  an  early  settler,  was  received 
in  answer  to  inquiries  in  reference  to  the  Chief: 

"  HICKORY,  IOWA,  JUNE  24,  1881. 

"  I  came  to  Iowa  in  the  spring  of  1836,  and  was  often 
near  Black  Hawk's  house,  though  I  never  went  in  to  see 
him.  He  was  buried 

in  a  manner  on  the  top  of  the  ground,  and  his  head  a  foot 


128  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

or  more  above  the  surface.  He  had  on  a  suit  of  military 
clothes,  four  nice  new  blankets  were  wrapped  around  him, 
a  plug  hat  on  his  head  and  an  old  fashioned  stock  around 
his  neck.  You  may  ask  how  I  saw  all  this  when  he  was 
in  his  grave.  I  will  try  to  describe  the  way  in  which  he 
was  buried,  and  then  you  will  know.  A  forked  post  had 
been  planted  at  his  head  and  one  at  his  feet,  a  ridge  pole 
was  laid  in  these  forks  and  slabs  put  over  it  in  the  shape 
of  a  roof,  which  was  covered  with  earth,  and  made  a  raise 
of  some  feet  above  him.  The  whites  had  taken  out  the 
two  ends  so  that  we  could  see  through.  The  grave  had 
been  enclosed  with  pickets  some  eight  feet  high  planted 
in  the  ground,  but  these  had  been  forced  apart  so  that  we 
could  easily  creep  in.  His  feet  were  to  the  east  and  his 
head  to  the  west.  At  his  feet  was  a  shaved  oak  post  with 
painting  on  it,  and  at  his  head  a  pole  with  a  silk  flag.  All 
the  grass  and  weeds  were  kept  out  of  the  inclosure,  and 
for  some  distance  around.  He  had  no  coffin,  but  reclined 
full  length  upon  this  horizontal  board." 

From  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous  it  is  but  a  step,  so 
the  sketch  of  this  noted  Chieftain,  and  the  history  of  his 
closing  days— pathetic  as  it  is— is  robbed  of  half  its  pathos 
when  we  remember  him  as  described  reclining  at  his  ease, 
dressed  in  a  military  suit,  his  right  hand  resting  on  a  cane 
and  his  head  surmounted  by  a  plug  hat.  The  ludicrous 
and  the  sorrowful  are  strangely  intermixed.  A  king  from 
whom  his  kingdom  had  been  wrested  by  a  stronger  hand. 
A  Chieftain  whose  followers  were  as  the  leaves  that  fall 
in  the  autumn,  shorn  of  his  strength,  and  not  one  left  to 
trail  his  weakening  footsteps.  His  glory  dimmed  for  aye. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  I2p 

His  very  place  taken  from  him  and  given  to  a  rival. 
What  sad  contemplations  to  accompany  the  waning 
strength  of  the  old  man.  Only  one  prophesied  his  near 
departure,  that  was  the  faithful  wife  who  had  lived  with 
him  for  over  forty  years,  witnessed  his  victories  and  de- 
feats, and  shared  his  joys  and  sorrows.  '•  You  are  old," 
she  said,  "and  must  soon  die,  for  the  Man-i-tou  has  called 
you."  So  in  a  very  few  days  Black  Hawk  passed  away, 
as  did  the  smallest  or  the  weakest  of  his  people.  What  a 
beautiful  poem  might  be  written  on  the  varied  and  excit- 
ing incidents  of  hirf  life,  and  the  pathos  of  his  death,  (if 
that  one  trifling  difficulty  of  the  plug  hat  could  be  over- 
come). Sing  gentle  muse,  and  be  not  silent  when  such  a 
history  should  be  woven  into  song. 

But  to  return  to  the  present  time  and  the  grave  yard 
on  the  lonely  hill.  What  a  place  for  moralizing  is  here 
afforded.  What  a  place  for  vain  and  speculative  thoughts 
to  course  through  the  busy  brain.  Vain,  because  no  an- 
swer can  be  given  to  the  why  and  the  wherefore.  Have 
they  solved  the  problem  of  their  being,  these  representa- 
tives of  a  race  that  resemble  no  other?  Strange  thoughts 
come  to  the  mind  as  to  what  place  in  the  great  plan  of 
destiny  they  were  intended  to  fill,  or  why  they  were,  or 
were  created.  But  here  they  sleep,  the  braves,  whom 
even  the  fiercest  war  whoop  shall  arouse  no  more  from 
slumber.  The  patient  squaw,  who  has  lived  her  life  as  a 
"hewer  of  wood  and  a  drawer  of  water"  only,  knowing 
or  caring  for  nothing  better. 

Here  are  the  young  and  the  old.  Rigid  they  lie  in 
their  last  resting  place  upon  the  hill  top — they  through 


130  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

whose  veins  coursed  the  warm  life  blood  that  thrilled  with 
the  pulse  of  nature,  whose  forefathers,  wild,  free  and  sav- 
age, felt  the  mad  thrill  of  fury,  or  the  joy  of  victory,  when 
their  fleet  and  wary  footsteps  ambushed  the  foe,  or  when, 
as  the  spoils  of  the  conqueror,  they  took  the  reeking  bloody 
scalps,  and  hung  at  their  belt  as  the  trophies  of  the  fight. 
Here  they  rest.  The  winds  of  heaven  rave  in  fury 
around  the  graves,  or  whisper  a  gentle  requiem,  plaintive 
and  sweet.  The  waving  branches  move  to  and  fro. 
The  early  rays  of  the  sunlight  fall  upon  the  place,  and  the 
last  light  crowns  it  'ere  evening  shades  appear.  Again 
the  snows  of  winter  fall,  and  the  leafless  trees  complete  a 
picture  of  weird  desolation,  that  makes  us  almost  think  the 
spirit  of  unrest  must  haunt  the  place. 

Here  they  rest  in  undisturbed  serenity.  Do  their  spir- 
its dwell  in  a  clearer  light  that  inspires  the  dull  brain,  or  rest 
they  in  the  dull  unconsciousness  of  an  eternal  sleep?  Has 
earth  gone  back  to  earth?  Has  dust  returned  to  dust,  and 
is  there  nothing  else?  Though  degraded,  untaught,  bar- 
barous in  nature,  who  dare  say  nay? 

The  shadows  of  doubt  are  thick  and  apalling.  The 
cry  of  unbelief  rings  far  and  near,  yet  a  light  has  arisen 
that  sheds  a  radiance  through  clouds  of  distrust.  Though 
groping  long  in  darkness,  we  may  behold  the  light  that 
changes  night  into  the  dawning  of  an  eternal  morning. 
Happy  they,  who  in  the  sunlight  of  faith  and  hope  wait  in 
gladness  for  the  time,  when  they  too 

"  Shall  pass  over  the  river, 

And  rest  in  the  shade  of  the  trees." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Oke-mau— A  Dinner— Sacred  Things — The  Jeweler— Pie-yaus— 
Mesh-a-noke — u  How  Much  Pay  "—Gambling— The  Politician 
"  Inalienable  Eights." 

Among  the  residents  of  the  Indian  camp,  John  Johnson, 
or  Oke-mau,  is  of  some  note.  He  is  an  Indian  without 
guile,  yet  not  a  guileless  Indian,  (and  in  your  opinion  this 
may  be  a  distinction  without  a  difference,  but  then  you 
have  not  the  pleasure  of  Johnson's  acquaintance).  One 
bright  summer  day  we  received  an  invitation  to  sit  at  his 
festive  board  and  partake  of  the  "nectar  and  ambrosia"  of 
Indian  cookery.  A  clean  cloth  was  spread  upon  the  earth- 
en floor,  and  upon  it  a  plate  and  knife  and  fork,  (napkins 
were  not  used)  was  placed  for  each.  The  food  was  then 
dished  up,  when  all  took  their  places.  The  first  course 
was  soup,  which  was  served  in  a  large  wooden  bowl,  and 
everybody  was  supposed  to  help  themselves.  After  this 
came  meat  and  potatoes,  hot  cakes  fried  in  grease,  and 
coffee.  For  desert,  wild  strawberries  covered  with  sugar. 
The  appetite  of  the  guests  present  not  being  very  good, 
they  were  unable  to  do  full  justice  to  the  dainties  /hospita- 
bly urged  upon  them.  About  eleven  persons  sat  down  to 
the  meal,  the  children  waiting  patiently  for  their  turn. 
After  the  meal  was  concluded,  one  of  the  women  enter- 
tained the  company  to  the  best  of  her  ability  by  showing 


132  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAK1ES. 


her  album,  filled  with  pictures  of  relatives  and  friends;  also 
specimens  of  bead  work  were  exhibited.  Several  families 
live  in  Johnson's  lodge,  so  that  he  is  not  the  sole  proprie- 
tor. He  belongs  to  the  clan  Oke-mau,  and  is,  therefore, 
entitled  to  some  distinction.  He  is  a  zealous  adherent  to 
the  faith  of  his  forefathers,  and  is  never  absent  when  their 
worship  is  held,  but  takes  a  prominent  part  in  all  religious 
exercises. 

Wau-wau-to-sah,  an  old  man  not  averse  to  having  his 
own  way,  is  another  of  the  priesthood,  and  has  in  his  pos- 
session an  Indian  Bible,  or  Mi-a-shaum.  Only  about  six 
of  these  are  in  the  tribe,  and  they  are  zealously  kept,  and 
receive  the  greatest  veneration  and  care.  Wau-wau-to- 
sah  has  other  sacred  things  in  his  possession  also.  Among 
them  the  skin  of  some  animal  which  in  itself  possesses  a 
rare  virtue.  Some  years  since  his  wick-i-up  took  fire  and 
was  destroyed,  but  the  skin  was  saved,  as  it  were  by  fire, 
the  hair  all  being  burnt  oft'  it.  Of  course  this  was  looked 
upon  as  a  disastrous  omen  by  the  Indians,  who  predicted 
some  misfortune  to  the  tribe.  It  was,  however,  still  kept 
by  the  owner,  and  since  that  time  the  hair  has  all  grown 
on  it  again,  and  it  is  exactly  the  same  as  before  the  fire. 
We  do  not  vouch  for  the  truthfulness  of  this  story.  It 
was  told  us  by  several  Indians,  who  asserted  it  to  be  a  fact, 
but  what  a  fortune  might  be  gained  by  Wau-wau-to-sah 
if  he  could  be  induced  to  mention  the  particular  "hair 
restorative"  used,  and  let  his  story  endorse  it. 

The  Indians  are  very  fond  of  ornament,  the  men  equal- 
ly so  with  the  women,  and  are  especially  partial  to  any- 
thing made  of  silver,  as  bracelets,  rings,  ear  rings,  etc. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  133 

The  head  jeweler  of  the  tribe  is  Pam-me-co-vvah,  though 
the  greater  number  of  the  Indians  understand  how  to 
make  this  jewelry,  and  buy  the  silver  in  sheets  for  this 
purpose.  He  and  his  partner,  Nau-mee,  are  skillful  in 
carving,  and  the  design  is  often  quite  fine,  and  engraved 
with  perfect  exactness.  Pam-me-co-wah  is  quite  a  char- 
acter in  himself.  He  is  genial  and  friendly,  and  can  talk 
English  well.  He  loves  to  paint  his  face  a  bright  yellow, 
with  streaks  of  red  or  blue,  crosswise  beneath  the  eyes. 
His  moccasins  are  heavy  with  bead  work,  his  leggins  gen- 
erally decorated  with  small  bells  that  tinkle  with  every 
movement  of  the  wearer.  Always  in  his  hand  he  carries 
his  pipe,  which  is  a  great  deal  better  than  any  one  else 
possesses.  This  is  sometimes  inlaid  with  silver,  while  the 
stem  is  composed  of  the  finest  brass  wire,  woven  around 
wood.  Again,  another  pipe  is  all  of  metal,  in  shape  like  a 
tomahawk.  Pam-me-co-wah  also  sports  a  gay  tuban  upon 
his  head.  He  comes  into  a  room  with  a  peculiar  tramp  of 
the  feet,  and  a  rushing  motion  that  will  startle  a  stranger 
considerably  until  he  is  sure  that  Pam-me-co-wah  is  a  good 
Indian,  and  would  harm  no  one.  He  has  had  several 
wives  from  whom  he  has  been  separated.  Either  Pam- 
me-co-wah  has  been  unfortunate  in  his  matrimonial  rela- 
tions, or  else  he  is  hard  to  please. 

Pie-yaus  is  a  tall,  sharp  featured  Indian,  of  some  prom- 
inence, who  always  wears  a  black  cloth  tightly  tied  around 
his  head.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  his  scalp  is  now  the 
property  of  another,  hence  the  reason  his  head  is  always 
kept  covered.  Pie-yaus  is  extremely  reticent  on  this  mat- 
ter, and  never  even  breathes  a  suspicion  of  the  fact  that 


134  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

the  covering  of  his  cranial  development  has  hung  at  the  belt 
of  a  foe,  or  may  even  now  be  hanging  in  some  dusty  lodge, 
all  covered  with  soot  and  cobwebs.  Pie-yaus  has  the  title 
'•  D.  D.,"  or  dog  dispatcher,  as  it  generally  falls  to  his  lot 
to  dispatch  the  unfortunate  quadruped  who  is  destined  to 
furnish  soup  on  some  particular  occasion. 

As  a  general  thing  the  Indians  do  not  live  to  a  very  old 
age;  a  few  have  reached  the  age  of  ninety,  and  the  suns  of 
one  hundred  summers  have  left  their  mark  upon  the  brow 
of  others.  One  old  blind  man  is  now  one  hundred  and 
two  years  of  age. 

The  oldest  woman  in  the  tribe  is  Mesh-a-noke.  Her 
long  white  hair  and  shriveled  look  gives  her  the  appear- 
ance of  extreme  age.  but  not  so  her  activity.  About  a 
year  ago,  wishing  to  make  some  improvement  in  her 
lodge,  Mesh-a-noke  walked  to  Tama  City,  a  distance  of 
three  miles  or  more,  to  purchase  lumber,  and  having  no 
other  mode  of  conveyance  at  hand,  carried  it  home  secure- 
ly strapped  upon  her  back. 

Two  years  since,  when  camped  in  the  vicinity  of  Ce- 
dar Rapids,  it  was  reported  that  Mesh-a-noke  had  depart- 
ed this  life,  and  Dr.  McClelland,  of  the  Cedar  Rapids 
Times,  forthwith  wrote  a  glowing  and  pathetic  obituary 
on  this  ancient  representative  of  an  historic  race;  but 
though  the  report  proved  unfounded,  it  was  never  contra- 
dicted, and  when  the  old  woman  in  reality  goes  to  the 
spirit  land,  it  may  be  some  consolation  for  her  to  know 
that  her  credentials  have  already  appeared.  On  being 
told  of  the  report  of  her  death,  a  grim  smile  hovered  for  a 
moment  upon  her  furrowed  face  as  she  remarked,  "  No 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  135 

catch  him  yet,  good  many  days  may  be  catch  him,"  mean- 
ing that  she  was  not 'yet  dead,  and  might  live  for  some 
time. 

A  number  of  the  men  have  taken  English  names. 
They  usually  adopt  some  one  that  takes  their  fancy.  In 
the  tribe  one  man  rejoices  in  the  name  of  "Sam  Slick," 
another  is  called  "  Smart  Alick,"  and  still  another,  "  Dr. 
Beaver,"  while  John  and  George  are  favorites.  As  it  is  so 
easy  to  procure  a  name,  several  are  often  used.  For  in- 
stance, Ni-ne,  the  son  of  a  Chief,  also  calls  himself  Wau- 
pel-lo-shaw,  Young  Bear  and  John  Bear,  and  asking  one 
day  to  have  a  letter  written  for  him  in  English,  brought 
forth  a  new  name  with  some  degree  of  pride,  and  remark- 
ed the  reply  must  be  sent  to  Johnson  Smith,  (a  former  vis- 
itor to  the  camp). 

"Don't  you  want  the  answer  sent  to  you,  Ni-ne?" 
"  Oh,  yes,  I  am  Johnson  Smith  now." 
"So  you  have  got  another  new  name?" 
"Yes,"  he  replied  complacently,  "me  catch  him,  new 
name." 

The  character  of  the  Indian  is  not  without  its  humor- 
ous side.  They  joke  among  themselves,  and  often  turn 
into  ridicule  some  peculiarity  of  feature,  dress  or  charac- 
ter you  may  possess,  or  give  you  a  name  that  corresponds 
with  it.  A  member  of  the  legal  fraternity  is  called  Poshe- 
to-an-ne,  the  literal  interpretation  of  which  is  Big  Liar.  It 
is  probable,  however,  that  the  real  signification  of  the 
word,  as  it  appears  to  them  when  used,  is  "a  great  talk- 
er," or  a  person  who  makes  a  living  by  talking. 

The  name  Cam-me-ko,  is  given  to  any  one  whose  na- 


136  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

sal  organ  has  been  too  largely  developed,  or  in  other  words, 
who  has  an  unusually  large  nose.  This  practice  of  nam- 
ing for  some  peculiarity  of  feature  or  occupation,  is  com- 
mon among  all  tribes. 

With  but  few  exceptions  the  Indians,  or  squaws,  are 
ready  to  talk  to  a  stranger  at  any  time  at  their  camp.  It 
is  not  a  hard  matter  to  become  on  friendly  terms  with 
them,  although  they  are  naturally  suspicious  of  strangers 
who  make  any  attempt  to  combat  their  prejudices.  They 
don't  believe  that  any  one  will  visit  them  constantly,  or 
labor  for  them,  for  no  other  reason  than  to  improve  their 
condition,  and  when  this  is  told  them,  immediately  ask, 
"How  much  pay?"  which  proves  that  the  average  Indian 
cares  nothing  for  high  flown  sentiment,  which  is  intended 
only  to  impose  on  his  credulity,  and  as  he  narrows  every- 
thing down  to  a  question  of  dollars  and  cents,  he  is  not  so 
very  far  behind  the  times  in  which  he  lives,  after  all.  He 
knows  that  the  days  are  past  when  people  sacrificed  them- 
selves for  the  sake  of  any  cause,  no  matter  how  noble  or 
philanthropic,  and  that  the  world,  socially,  morally  and  in- 
tellectually, now  revolves  on,  "How  much  pay?"  If  he 
does  not  know  this  of  the  world  at  large,  he  has  had  plenty 
of  experience  to  prove  it  so  as  regards  himself. 

We  say,  "  Lo,  the  poor  Indian,  with  the  untutored 
mind,"  and  go  forth  to  educate  or  christianize  him,  while 
people  applaud  the  act  and  the  motive,  and  we  feel  espe- 
cially elated  at  the  thought  of  being  "the  humble  instru- 
ment" to  effect  a  praiseworthy  object;  and  yet,  all  the 
time,  (and  deep  down  in  our  inmost  souls  we  know  it 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMOXG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  137 

well,)  it  all  revolves  upon  the  question  of  the  Indian,  "  How 
much  pay?" 

And  what  does  not  revolve  upon  the  same  principle,  if 
it  can  be  called  a  principle?  While  it  is  true  that  "the  la- 
borer is  worthy  of  his  hire,*'  and  even  Congressmen  cannot 
afford  to  sacrifice  themselves  for  their  country  without  a 
salary,  where  should  we  find  the  great  reformers  of  the 
present  age,  the  famous  evangelists,  the  scientists,  if  there 
was  no  such  question  as  "How  much  pay?"  While  due 
honor  should  be  given  all  benevolent  societies,  for  chari- 
ty is  on  the  topmost  round  of  the  ladder,  and  much  mon- 
ey is  expended  for  various  noble  objects  where  no  return 
of  interest  is  possible,  still  in  all  walks  of  life,  in  any- 
thing and  everything,  the  same  question  of  the  Indian  is 
prominent,  "How  much  pay?" 

These  Indians  are  passionately  fond  of  gambling,  which 
is  carried  on  to  a  great  extent.  Even  children  evince  this 
love  at  an  early  age,  and  many  of  them  may  be  seen  in 
the  balmy  summer  days,  seated  under  a  tree" indulging  in 
card  playing,  displaying  a  perseverance  and  skill  that 
might  have  good  result,  had  it  other  object.  Among  the 
older  ones  it  often  happens  that  they  play  all  night,  and 
the  next  day,  and  when  their  money  is  exhausted,  stake 
blankets,  hats,  rings,  bracelets,  or  anything  they  may  pos- 
sess. Pow-e-sheik,  a  young  man  about  thirty,  a  lineal 
descendent  of  the  Chief,  Pow-e-sheik,  is  one  of  the  most 
skillful  players  in  the  tribe.  He  is  of  pleasing  address,  can 
speak  read  and  write  in  English,  and  when  fire-water  is 
unobtainable  is  really  an  exemplary  Indian,  but  when  un- 
der the  influence  of  whisky  he  is  dangerous.  With  a  smile 


138  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

that  is  "child  like  and  bland,"  Pow-e-sheik  will  discuss 
the  probability  of  winning  enough  money  by  gambling  to 
pay  the  debts  he  has  contracted,  and  he  cannot  be  made 
understand  there  is  anything  wrong  in  this.  Without  the 
slightest  ill  will  on  either  side,  the  winner  will  gather  in 
his  spoils,  and  the  loser,  who  has  in  all  probability  staked 
all  that  he  possessed  on  the  game,  will  quietly  fold  his 
blanket  around  him  and  walk  away.  After  the  annuity 
money  has  been  paid  the  Indians  by  the  Government, 
Pow-e-sheik  reaps  a  harvest,  often  winning  a  large  amount, 
as  he  is  rarely  unsuccessful. 

With  but  few  exceptions  every  Indian  in  this  tribe  is 
addicted  to  gambling.  Visit  their  camps  in  summer,  this 
is  the  first  thing  you  will  notice.  Groups  of  men  are  scat- 
tered here  and  there,  so  absorbed  in  the  game  they  will 
scarcely  glance  up  as  you  pass  by.  The  eagerness  they 
exhibit  would  make  the  beholder  think  the  welfare  of  a 
life  time  depended  on  their  success.  Often  a  large  pile  of 
silver  ornaments  lie  in  front  of  the  winner,  and  the  lack  of 
the  same  on  the  person  of  his  opponent  proves  him  to  be 
unsuccessful. 

Generally  speaking,  the  red  man  is  truthful,  although 
not  altogether  free  from  the  sin  of  Ananias.  They 
have  not  a  very  high  opinion  of  the  word  of  the 
whites,  often  saying  «  white  man  heap-ee  lie."  How  this 
opinion  was  formed  it  is  hard  to  determine,  perhaps  from 
a  record  of  years,  in  which  they  have  been  cheated  or  be- 
trayed by  white  persons;  certainly  they  cannot  have  re- 
ceived this  impression  from  their  intimacy  with  political 
candidates,  contrasting  the  promises  made  before,  and  their 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  139 

non-performance  after  election.  That  is  one  infliction  that 
is  spared  the  Indian,  (excepting  only  the  civilized  tribes  of 
Indian  Territory).  They  are  never  buttonholed  by  some 
eager  aspirant  for  office,  and  made  to  listen  to  his  appeal 
for  assistance  (and  one  vote  more)  that  the  country  which 
absolutely  needs  his  valuable  aid  shall  not  suffer  for  the 
lack  of  it.  That  in  his  efforts  to  benefit  humanity,  and 
keep  the  pillars  of  the  State,  or  Nation  from  falling,  he  is 
willing,  oh  so  very  willing,  to  sacrifice  himself  that  the  best 
good  of  his  fellow  creatures  may  thereby  be  secured,  and 
to  this  end  what  matter  though  he  be  offered  up  on  the 
sacrificial  altar  at  the  shrine  of  his  country,  (and  he  very 
often  is).  The  Indian,  then,  is  spared  all  this.  Although 
a  land  owner  and  paying  taxes  into  the  treasury,  he  has  no 
voice  in  such  matters,  and  were  he  possessed  of  all  the 
learning  of  the  learned,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  wise,  it 
would  be  all  the  same.  When  civilization  shall  fit  him  to 
stand  "  as  .a  man  among  men,"  even  then  this  natural  born 
citizen  must  have  a  special  act  to  allow  him  to  become  a 
unit  in  working  out  the  great  problem  of  life.  The  day 
may  come  when  some  of  the  descendents  of  these  people 
who  now  dwell  in  the  rude  village  by  the  river,  shall  have 
made  such  progression  that  this  question  will  demand  a 
settlement;  but  before  that  time  who  can  say  how  many 
generations  shall  live  and  die,  and  pass  onward  to  forget- 
fulness. 

"All  men  have  certain  inalienable  rights,"  yet  the  rights 
of  the  Indians,  as  a  race,  have  been  trampled  on  ever  since, 
and  long  before,  the  words  were  written  and  framed  in  the 
hearts  of  a  free  people.  Yes,  ever  since  the  broad  flag  of 


140  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

liberty  waved  above  a  country  over  which  no  tyrant  held 
sway. 

Public  opinion  has  also  contributed  much  toward  the 
injustice  done  the  Indian.  Only  a  few  years  since  the 
generality  of  people  looked  upon  him  as  a  fiend  in  human 
form,  who  must  be  kept  down  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 
Let  us  hope  that  a  brighter  day  is  dawning,  that  profiting  by 
the  mistakes  of  the  past,  the  future  civilization  and  progres- 
sion of  the  Indian  shall  not  be  retarded  by  political  schemes, 
treachery,  or  broken  treaties,  which  do  him  injustice;  that 
recognizing  the  "inalienable  rights,"  written  in  golden  let- 
ters on  the  broad  page  of  liberty,  as  it  ought  to  be  also  in 
the  heart  of  humanity,  it  may  be  only  a  question  of  time, 
under  the  wise  measures  advanced  by  those  in  authority 
over  them,  when  the  Indians,  as  a  race,  shall  be  able  to 
assume  the  responsibility  of  citizenship,  and  be  recognized, 
though  a  separate  element,  as  filling  their  place  in  the  pro- 
gressive history  of  the  Nation. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Bear  City— Winnebago  Town— The  Ponies— Sam— I-yan-o-pee— 

Jenny— Jim  Morgan— Harry  —  Visitors  —  John's  House  — A 
Fraud. 

Three  miles  west  of  Tama  City,  on  the  top  of  a  high 
hill  which  commands  a  good  view  of  the  surrounding 
country,  is  a  small  Indian  village,  built  in  the  year  1881, 
and  called  by  the  euphonious  title  of  Bear  City,  after  the 
name  of  its  founder,  Sam  Bear,  or  Muh-quoh,  who  belongs 
to  the  Bear  clan,  and  is  a  brother  of  the  Chief,  Poshe-to- 
neke.  These  Indians  formerly  lived  in  the  large  Indian 
village,  but  as  that  had  been  frequently  inundated  by  the 
overflow  of  the  river,  concluded  to  seek  a  new  location  far 
removed  from  danger.  At  first  the  village  contained  four 
lodges  and  several  wick-i-ups,  about  ten  families  being  the 
occupants,  since  that  time  some  changes  have  been  made 
in  the  City,  and  the  residents  are  fewer  in  number.  In  the 
winter  months  it  is  entirely  deserted,  and  only  the  wind 
wails  sadly  around  the  empty  lodges. 

After  climbing  the  steep  hill,  you  may  take  a  needed 
rest,  while  the  swaying  branches  of  the  trees  waft  the  cool 
breezes  which  fan  your  brow.  Far  as  the  eye  can  reach 
looking  southward,  is  the  green  pasture  through  which  the 
water  of  the  canal  finds  its  way  to  the  river,  and  on 
either  side  grazing  upon  it  are  the  ponies  of  the  Indians. 


142  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

These  belong  to  individuals,  and  are  not  the  common  prop- 
erty of  the  tribe.  All  together  they  number  from  six  to 
seven  hnndred. 

The  blue  smoke  from  several  Indian  houses  can  be 
seen  in  the  distance,  curling  up  through  the  trees.  This 
is  often  called  Winnebago  town,  as  quite  a  number  who 
have  married  Fox  women,  and  been  adopted  into  the  tribe, 
live  in  the  locality. 

In  and  out  through  the  lodges  run  the  children,  their 
black  eyes  gazing  curiously  at  a  stranger;  ever  on  the  alert, 
they  watch  closely  for  any  demonstration  to  excite  their 
fears,  and  if  made,  they  will  disappear  quickly  behind 
some  friendly  tree,  or  in  the  depths  of  the  lodge.  Outside 
the  lodges  are  platforms  on  which  the  Indians  lake  their 
meals  in  summer,  and  which  answer  the  purpose  of  ta- 
bles. 

Sam  Bear  is  a  grand  old  man,  cordial  and  pleasant  in 
manner.  He  is  a  living  refutation  of  the  hackneyed  senti- 
ment that  "all  good  Indians  are  dead  ones."  Sam  loves  a 
pipe,  and  while  enjoying  its  fragrance  will  tell  you  stories 
of  his  hunting  or  trapping  expeditions.  He  is  curious 
and  observing,  and  likes  to  know  all  that  is  going  on,  and 
any  information  his  friends  give  him  in  matters  of  general 
interest,  is  gratefully  received.  Just  as  pleasant  as  Sam  is 
his  wife,  I-yan-o-pee,  several  years  his  senior,  if  you  once 
gain  her  friendship;  if  not  you  will  find  she  is  supplied  with 
that  prerogative  of  woman,  a  tongue,  which  is  so  often  an 
instrument  of  torture  to  downtrodden  husbands,  irrespect- 
ive of  race  or  color.  I-yan-o-pee  undoubtedly,  did  she  but 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  143 

understand  the  principles  of  woman  suffrage,  would  be  the 
Susan  B.  Anthony  of  her  race. 

Jenny  is  another  resident  of  the  city.  SJie  is  neither 
"fat  or  fair,"  but  evidently  forty.  She  has  a  rather  shrew- 
ish tongue,  and  an  eye  that  is  ever  open  to  her  own  inter- 
est, but  is  genial  and  friendly  to  those  she  likes.  Jenny 
delights  in  piling  up  the  bright  colored  calico  and  gaudy 
ribbon  that  is  destined  to  furnish  herself  and  daughter  a 
gala  costume  for  some  festive  occasion.  Perhaps  a  large 
number  of  silver  ornaments  will  decorate  a  bright  red  gar- 
ment, interspersed  with  ribbons  of  blue,  pink,  or  purple 
hue,  the  effect  when  worn  being  indescribable,  the  rays  of 
sunlight  reflected  on  the  silver  flashing  before  the  eye  like 
liquid  light. 

Jenny,  though  a  widow,  has  no  desire  to  again  enter 
the  matrimonial  state.  Whether  or  no  she  has  profited  by 
a  former  experience,  "  deponent  sayeth  not."  Perhaps  she 
is  one  of  the  few  who  can  be  faithful  to  a  memory,  if  so, 
let  her  receive  her  just  meed  of  praise  for  a  virtue  so 
rare. 

Harry  Wa-ke-mau,  another  resident,  is  farther  advanc- 
ed than  the  average  Indian.  He  is  industrious  and  trust- 
worthy. Understands  English  well,  while  all  his  children 
have  received  instruction  at  the  Government  school.  He 
farms  to  some  extent,  and  leased  land  from  a  white  man 
for  this  purpose.  One  thing  especially  noticeable  about 
Harry,  he  is  always  in  a  condition  of  good  nature,  and  has 
a  great  love  of  truth,  speaking  in  contemptuous  tones  of 
those  whom  he  asserts  "heap-ee  lie."  Harry  is  the  only 
Indian  in  the  tribe  who  does  not  take  part  in  the  "  tecan- 


i44 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 


na,"  or  ordinance  of  worship.  Unlike  the  rest  of  the  In- 
dians, he  also  remains  at  the  camp  during  the  winter 
months,  and  does  not  go  oft'  on  hunting  or  trapping  expe- 
ditions. 

Jim  Morgan,  also  a  resident,  is  something  of  a  charac- 
ter. He  is  friendly  and  sociably  inclined.  Speaks  English 
well,  and  knows  something  of  the  rules  of  politeness.  One 
day  coming  in  the  school  room  while  smoking,  he  imme- 
diately removed  his  pipe  with  the  remark,  "May  be  you 
no  like  him  smoke,"  him  being  the  word  by  which  the  In- 
dians designate  whatever  they  are  speaking  of. 

"Shap-wau-tuk,  a  former  citizen,  is  a  prominent  In- 
dian. His  wife  is  admitted  to  some  of  the  privileges  of 
worship  not  accorded  to  the  other  women,  and  she  is  one 
of  the  most  zealous  adherents,  and  has  a  cordial  hatred  of 
anything  pertaining  to  the  "white  man's"  mode  of  liv- 
ing. 

Stretched  upon  the  platforms  outside  the  lodges,  wrap- 
ped in  their  red  blankets,  (and  the  bit  of  color  is  just  need- 
ed to  make  the  picture  effective,)  the  Indians  may  be  seen, 
at  any  time,  engaged  in  the  pleasant  occupation  of  taking 
life  easy.  Of  course  they  are  smoking.  An  Indian  with- 
out a  pipe  would  be  an  anomaly,  smoking  and  gambling 
being  the  most  prominent  features  of  their  existence. 
While  some  progression  is  observable  among  them  during 
the  past  ten  years,  it  is  only  to  those  who  have  been  ac- 
quainted with  their  earlier  history,  and  yet,  "can  the  leop- 
ard change  his  spots?"  The  general  characteristics  of  the 
Indian  must  ever  remain  the  same.  They  may  be  modi- 
fied by  time  and  civilization,  but  as  among  civilized  na- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  145 

tions,  people  retain  some  peculiarity  that  is  always  notice- 
able, as  pertaining  to  the  country  of  their  birth,  so  the  In- 
dian will  bear  the  mark  of  his  race  under  all  conditions 
and  circumstances;  the  customs  of  his  people  will  ever  be 
dear  to  him,  the  graves  of  his  forefathers  sacred  in  his 
sight,  and  nature  have  a  charm  that  nothing  else  can  give. 

Bear  City  has  many  visitors,  and  if  you  were  not  aware 
of  the  fact,  it  might  be  difficult  by  their  conduct  to  deter- 
mine who  represented  civilization,  and  who  semi-barbar- 
ism, the  visitors  or  the  visited.  Of  course  there  are  excep- 
tions to  this  rule,  as  to  all  others,  but  the  exception  is  the 
rarity. 

We  have  observed  visitors  who  examined  everything 
they  happened  to  see  without  as  much  as  "by  your  leave," 
talked  loudly  about  the  "big  Injuns,"  remarked  upon  the 
odor  of  the  lodge,  asked  questions  innumerable,  and  finally 
departed  with  a  flourish.  It  was  our  good  fortune  to  wit- 
ness one  particular  visit  of  this  kind,  and  scarcely  had  the 
visitors  got  out  of  hearing,  when  the  old  Chief,  who  was 
present,  and  had  before  spoken  not  a  word,  although-  nu- 
merous rude  questions  were  addressed  to  him,  turned  to 
us,  and  with  an  expressive  look,  pointing  his  finger  dis- 
dainfully at  the  retreating  forms,  exclaimed  in  scornful 
accents,  "  Heap  ee  d —  fool,  ugh,  heap-ce  d — fool."  Be 
not  shocked,  gentle  reader,  although  the  old  man  knew  no 
better  than  to  emphasize  his  words  by  profane  speech,  he 
yet  recognized  the  lack  of  that  true  politeness  that  causes 
its  possessors  to  speak  courteously  to  inferiors,  and  recog- 
nize the  fact  that  there  are  certain  rights  possessed  by 
every  one,  no  matter  to  what  nationality  they  belong, 


146  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

or    how    low   down    in    the   social    scale    they    may   be. 

Just  near  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  a  short  distance  from 
the  Government  school  building,  is  a  small  house  built  of 
logs,  which  is  occupied  by  John  Mah-kuk.  Outside  the 
window  are  shutters  made  by  John  himself,  and  inside  sev- 
eral articles  of  furniture,  not  often  found  in  an  Indian's 
house  among  the  Musquakies  may  be  seen,  such  as  stoves, 
chairs,  a  stand  and  bedstead,  while  upon  the  walls  are  pic- 
tures and  a  glass.  John  believes  in  the  sentiment,  love 
your  enemies,  for  he  has  one  deadly  enemy,  (fire-water,) 
for  whom  he  evinces  much  love,  and  under  its  influence  he 
is  quarrelsome  and  dangerous. 

A  man  and  his  wife  occupied  John's  house  for  some 
time,  who  formerly  lived  in  Indian  Territory,  and  this  man 
was  the  only  one  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe  whom  we  ever 
knew  to  converse  freely  of  God  or  Christ,  or  refer  in  any 
way  to  a  Supreme  Power,  only  as  the  Great  Spirit. 
Talking  with  him  one  day: 

"  Oh,  yes,"  he  said,  "  Me  know  Jesus  well.  He  God's 
son.  Me  well  acquainted  with  him  in  Indian  Territory." 

Promising  to  live  among  these  Indians,  and  not  return 
to  his  former  home,  he  so  worked  on  their  sympathies  that 
his  name,  at  the  Chief's  request,  was  placed  upon  the  pay 
roll,  and  when  the  payment  was  made  he  drew  money  for 
himself,  wife  and  child,  amounting  to  over  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars.  That  same  night  he  and  his  family  dis- 
appeared and  were  seen  no  more,  and  whether  he  returned 
to  Indian  Territory  to  renew  the  acquaintance  of  which  he 
boasted,  and  by  which  he  had  profited  so  little,  still  remains 
in  doubt. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  147 

So  dirty,  lazy,  and  sublimely  indifferent  to  things  in 
general,  the  average  Musquakie  goes  on  the  even  tenor  of 
his  way.  Administrations  may  change,  he  heeds  it  not. 
The  fate  of  Nations  is  weighed  in  the  balance,  but  what 
cares  he?  Fame  is  to  him  a  myth,  or  an  unknown  com- 
modity. Give  him  plenty  to  eat,  let  him  hunt  and  trap, 
feast  and  dance,  he  asks  no  more  of  Fate,  only  to  be  let 
alone,  and  goes  undisturbed  down  the  journey  of  life,  and 
finally  dies,  with  the  full  assurance  that  he  will  be  still 
more  happy  and  blessed  in  the  "land  of  the  Hereafter." 

So  our  friends  upon  the  hill  top  enjoy  life  as  it  is,  take 
all  the  good  they  find  in  it,  and  bear  its  ills  with  stoical 
calmness,  or  apparent  indifference.  Basking  in  the  sun- 
light, they  care  not  for  the  shadow .  How  different  the 
life  they  now  live  to  that  of  their  forefathers.  The  rush  of 
battle  has  given  place  to  the  calmness  of  inaction.  The 
bloody  attack,  the  yells  of  victory,  or  the  shrieks  of  des- 
pair are  felt  and  heard  no  more.  Who  could  believe  in 
viewing  their  present  condition,  that  only  a  few  generations 
since,  or  even  less,  these  things  existed?  for 

"  Now  the  men  seem  all  like  women, 
Only  use  their  tongues  for  weapons." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Education  from  an  Indian  Stand  Point— Mate-tau-qua's  Speech 
Report  of  Indian  Agent  in  1874 — A  Wise  Legislation  Need- 
ed— Efforts  made — Joyous  Life  of  the  Indian  Boy. 

The  Sac  and  Fox  Indians,  more  especially  that  portion 
of  whom  we  write,  have  always  been  much  opposed  to 
the  education  of  their  children.  It  is  in  direct  opposition 
to  their  religious  belief,  and  for  this  reason  the  more  faith- 
ful have  a  bitter  prejudice  against  it,  which  is  quite  un- 
known in  other  tribes.  Any  attempt  to  enforce  the  "  white 
man's  learning"  upon  them  is  received  with  suspicion  and 
resentment,  and  it  is  onlv  by  gradual  effort,  having  first 
won  their  confidence,  that  attempts  in  this  direction  have 
proved  in  any  measure  successful. 

"You  know,"  said  one  of  the  Indians  in  a  burst  of  con- 
fidence, with  a  laudable  desire  to  impart  knowledge  him- 
self, although  he  condemned  it  in  others,  "You  know 
there  are  two  places,  heaven  and  hell,  and  when  Musqua- 
kie  die,  if  he  no  learn  like  white  man,  he  go  to  heaven, 
the  good  place,  but  if  he  learn  to  read  and  write  at  school, 
he  go  to  bad  place  hell."  (Alas  for  the  unenlightened, 
who  know  nothing  of  the  milder,  and  altogether  better 
sounding  word,  sheol). 

"But  my  friend,"  we  replied,  "you  have  learned  how 
to  read  and  write." 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  149 

"  Oh'yes,"  was  the  answer. 

"And  you  are  an  Indian,  a  Musquakie?" 
"Oh,  yes." 

"Then  how  will  it  be  with  you  when  you  take  your 
departure  from  this  earthly  sphere?  or  rather,  where  will 
you  go  to  when  you  die?" 

Finding  himself  cornered,  and  not  wishing  to  make  a 
personal  application  of  his  own  words,  he  replied  with  an 
assumed  air  of  indifference: 

"  Injuns  say  so,  I  no  say  it." 

We  endeavored  to  reason  the  matter,  and  explain  it 
was  our  bounden  duty  to  learn  all  we  could,  and  that 
though  the  Indian  possessed  all  the  knowledge  of  the  white 
man,  he  would  still  remain  an  Indian,  but  this  logic,  though 
unanswerable,  he  refused  to  accept. 

This  opposition  to  education  is  inherent  in  their  nature. 
It  is  born  with  them,  and  early  instilled  in  the  mind  by  par- 
ents and  friends.  It  is  condemned  by  tradition,  and  all 
they  hold  sacred  directly  opposes  it.  The  most  casual  ob- 
server can  therefore  see  that  an  undertaking  of  this  kind 
is  no  light  or  easy  matter,  or  without  danger  connected 
with  it;  neither  is  it  one  that  can  be  quickly  accom- 
plished. In  a  council  of  the  Indians  when  this  matter  was 
broached,  it  was  answered  by  the  old  Chief,  Mate-tau-a- 
qua,  in  the  following  characteristic  speech: 

"  God  made  us  all.  We  are  all  brothers."  (He  prob- 
ably meant  that  those  who  are  not  brothers  are  sisters). 
"But  we  are  different  people.  He  gives  to  me  a  red  skin 
and  to  you  a  white  one,  (pointing  to  the  white  persons 
present).  He  gave  us  a  nature  to  roam,  to  hunt,  and  fish, 


150  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

and  trap,  to  live  in  the  air.  When  our  children  are  old 
enough  the  Great  Spirit  himself  will  teach  them  all  they 
ought  to  know.  All  my  people  are  taught.  They  are 
taught  bv  tradition,  handed  down  from  the  days  when  the 
earth  first  was.  They  are  taught  by  the  sky,  and  the 
trees,  and  the  birds.  We  don't  want  to  be  like  the  white 
man.  God  made  us  different.  We  dont  want  to  learn 
like  the  white  man.  It  is  no  good.  The  white  boys  throw 
stones  at  the  Indian  boys,  and  call  them  names.  They 
learn  this  at  school,  but  when  the  white  boy  comes  to  the 
Indian  camp  the  boys  are  still  and  say  nothing.  They 
know  how  to  behave.  Some  of  our  young  men  who  can 
read  and  write  in  the  white  man's  way,  are  bad,  and  lie, 
and  the  Great  Spirit  is  angry.  Let  us  alone.  We  are  In- 
dians." 

A  hearty  ho,  ho,  from  the  Indians  present  proved  that 
they,  too,  coincided  with  the  sentiment  of  the  old  Chief, 
delivered  with  flashing  eyes  and  gestures  that  denoted  his 
earnestness. 

Separated  from  this,  another  great  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  education,  was  the  building  of  the  Government  school 
house  on  the  Indian's  land  without  their  permission,  and  in 
direct  opposition  to  their  wishes.  This  had  such  an  effect 
that  they  refused  for  a  long  time  to  even  enter  the  build- 
ing, and  did  not  do  so  until  many  of  the  school  desks  were 
removed  and  the  interior  arrangement  altered.  The  re- 
port of  A.  R.  Hovvbert,  U.  S.  Indian  Agent  in  1874,  con- 
tains the  following  very  wise  remarks  and  suggestions, 
which  it  is  to  be  regretted  were  not  adopted: 

"These  Indians  cling  with  great  tenacity  to  their  old 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  151 

ideas.  They  follow  their  natural  instincts  as  the  voice  of 
the  Great  Spirit.  They  are  an  intensely  religious  people 
in  their  way,  and  observe  the  ceremonies  of  their  system 
of  religion  with  the  greatest  punctuality  and  fervor.  Only 
a  few  have,  or  seem  to  have,  a  disposition  to  adopt  the 
white  man's  mode  of  living.  If  they  are  to  be  civilized 
they  must  be  educated,  and  this  cannot  be  done  as  long  as 
they  roam  about  more  than  half  the  year,  engaged  in 
hunting  or  trapping.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  there  should 
be  a  system  of  compulsory  education  inaugurated,  in  case 
of  these  Indians,  if  they  are  to  remain  in  Iowa.  I  contem- 
plate asking  the  legislature  of  Iowa  for  some  legislation 
on  this  point." 

And  a  very  important  point  it  was,  as  the  result  has 
proven.  In  187.1.  nac^  such  a  law  been  passed,  and  strict- 
ly enforced,  ten  years  would  have  made  a  vast  differ- 
ence in  the  condition  of  these  people.  Had  the  choice 
been  given  them  to  have  their  children  educated,  and  that 
ought  to  have  been  made  one  of  the  conditions,  when  they 
were  first  given  permission  b}-  the  State  legislature  to  pur- 
chase land  on  Iowa  soil,  and  had  that  condition  been  made, 
sooner  than  return  again  to  Kansas,  or  be  removed  to 
Indian  Territory,  of  the  two  evils,  as  it  appeared  to  them, 
the  lesser  would  have  been  chosen. 

Where  are  our  Senators  and  Representatives?  When 
they  see  the  Indian  stalking  through  the  halls  of  the  Capi- 
tol, (which  they  often  visit  when  the  legislature  is  in  ses- 
sion,) or  gazing  with  curious  eyes  upon  all  he  sees.  When 
they  observe  his  dress,  worn  for  a  century,  (the  style  at 
least,)  behold  the  feathers  and  the  paint,  and  all  the  etc., 


152  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

that  adorns  and  invests  with  a  peculiarity  all  his  own,  this 
child  of  nature,  not  far  removed  from  semi-barbarism; 
then  when  the  thought  must  also  come  that  here  is  an  in- 
dividual, who  by  permission  of  the  State,  and  right  of  pur- 
chase, is  a  land  owner  in  fair  progressive  Iowa,  surely  it 
needs  no  profound  mind  to  determine  that  here  is  needed 
— very  badly  needed — a  just  and  wise  legislation  that  will 
correct  the  mistakes  of  the  past,  and  give  promise  of  a 
brighter  future,  for  the  coming  generation,  at  least. 

This  question  of  education  is  the  great  bugbear  of  the 
Musquakies.  Over  and  over  again  has  it  been  discussed, 
by  Government  Inspectors,  by  special  agents,  by  employes. 
The  Indians  have  been  threatened  by  official  letters  from 
the  Department,  that  the  children  should  be  removed  to 
distant  schools.  They  have  been  specially  visited  by  rep- 
resentatives of  the  Department  for  this  object,  one  a  mili- 
tary officer,  who  suggested  sending  a  company  of  soldiers 
from  Fort  Omaha,  to  bring  these  refractory  people  to  their 
senses,  and  make  them  willing  to  have  the  youthful  scions 
of  their  race  taught  the  A,  B,  C,  of  civilization  in  the  school 
room,  but  like  the  naughty  boy,  who  was  always  threatened 
with  punishment  and  never  received  it,  they  began  to  doubt 
the  possibility  of  such  things  ever  coming  to  pass,  and  treat  it 
as  a  huge,  but  somewhat  unseemly  joke,  a  few  of  the  timid 
only  being  affected  thereby. 

Who  does  not  pity  the  terrible  homesickness  that  must 
be  experienced  by  the  Indian  children,  who  are  taken  far 
away  from  their  people  to  distant  schools,  and  obliged  to 
conform  to  system  and  rule.  Granted  that  it  may  be  for 
their  ultimate  good,  and  that  is  a  vexed  question,  this  does 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  153 

not  lessen  the  anguish  of  separation  from  friends  and 
home,  shut  up  among  strangers,  who  speak  often  in 
an  unknown  tongue,  the  curious  eyes  of  visitors  ga- 
zing on  the  little  barbarian,  who  shrinks  at  their  approach, 
and  therefore  appears  even  more  uncouth  and  savage, 
more  like  an  untamed  animal  than  a  human  being.  What 
tortures  of  mind  are  endured,  what  bitter  tears  shed  when 
all  others  slumber.  It  almost  seems  a  subject  for  the  Hu- 
mane Association. 

But  while  this  most  weighty  question  of  education  is 
discussed,  and  viewed  from  all  standpoints,  the  Indian  chil- 
dren enjoy  life  in  their  own  way,  running  and  jumping, 
diving  like  fish  in  the  water,  taking  no  thought  of  distance, 
when  on  some  fleet  pony  they  follow  the  wind  in  his 
course,  or  with  cunning  hand  shoot  the  arrow  that  robs  a 
bird  of  life.  Bright,  joyous,  wild  and  free,  it  seems  almost 
a  pity  to  tame  such  a  being.  To  bring  a  life  that  has  all 
nature  for  its  own,  to  rule  and  measure.  To  put  upon 
free  limbs  the  shackles  of  civilization.  To  instill  into  an 
existence  free  from  care,  the  cares  and  tears  that  knowl- 
edge brings.  So  Mother  Eve,  hadst  thou  not  sighed  for 
knowledge,  we  might  even  now  be  roaming  through  the 
elysium  fields  of  Paradise,  with  no  more  mark  of  care  upon 
our  brow  than  wears  the  Indian  bov. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Special  Efforts  to  Organize  a  School— The  Spy— A  Difference  of 
Opinion --Mistaken  Identity— "Me  Kill  You." 

Several  efforts  having  previously  been  made  to  organ- 
ize a  school  among  these  people,  (educational  as  well  as 
industrial,)  all  former  attempts  in  this  direction  proving 
fruitless,  the  Indian  Department,  in  co-operation  with  the 
Agent,  concluded  to  make  a  special  effort  to  accomplish 
this  object.  Several  letters  were  received  by  the 
writer  in  the  year  1883,  from  the  Agent,  Col.  Davenport, 
as  well  as  from  the  Hon.  Hiram  Price,  Commissioner  of 
Indian  Affairs,  with  reference  to  this  matter.  Having  had 
previously  some  knowledge  of  Indian  character,  we  finally 
consented  to  make  the  attempt  to  organize  a  school  among 
these  Indians,  and  received  the  appointment  of  Govern- 
ment Teacher.  Obstacles  arose  on  every  side,  that  only 
patience  and  perseverence  could  overcome.  First  the  sus- 
picions and  prejudices  of  the  Indians  must  be  allayed,  the 
school  room  made  attractive,  while  other  difficulties,  per- 
haps small  in  themselves,  but  still  hard  to  overcome,  were 
of  daily  occurrence.  The  work  assumed  mammoth  pro- 
portions, and  presented  anything  but  an  alluring  aspect, 
from  the  fact  that  you  were  powerless  to  do  anything  at 
first  but  wait.  That  seemed  the  wisest,  and  indeed  the 
only  plan.  The  old  saying,  "  if  they  will,  they  will,  and  if 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  155 

they  wont,  they  wont,"  was  eminently  appropriate  in  this 
case,  and  exemplified  daily. 

For  several  days  an  Indian  was  sent  as  a  spy  by 
the  Chiefs,  to  report  what  was  going  on.  For  some  time 
he  was  faithful  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him,  but  one  day 
was  beguiled  (by  the  enemy)  into  saying  a  lesson  in  the 
first  reader.  The  next  day  he  appeared  as  usual,  and  the 
question  was  put  to  him,  "Have  you  come  to  school  to- 
day?" 

"  No,"  he  answered,  (probably  ashamed  of  his  former 
departure  from  duty,)  "School  bad,  no  good,  me  no  like 
him,"  emphasizing  his  remarks  by  several  indescribable 
sounds,  intended  to  express  his  contempt  for  the  school. 
(In  speaking  of  anything  they  dislike  the  Indian  always 
uses  the  word  bad,  or  its  equivalent,  "no  good.") 

Tall  he  stood,  his  broad  shoulders  looming  up  above 
the  blanket,  and  in  matter  of  strength  we  were  as  a  pigmy 
beside  a  giant,  but  valor  cannot  be  estimated  by  size. 
Without  a  thought  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  words,  or  their 
result,  we  hastily  remarked: 

"The  school  is  not  bad.  If  you  don't  like  it  why  do 
you  come  here?  There  is  the  door,  you  walk  out.  If 
you  don't  like  the  school  stay  out  of  the  school  room." 

"  When  Greek  meets  Greek,  then  comes  the  tug  of 
war."  In  the  greatest  astonishment  at  our  temerity,  and 
presumption,  the  Indian  gazed  at  us  for  fully  five  minutes; 
then  without  the  slightest  mark  of  resentment  on  his  stolid 
face,  he  wrapped  his  blanket  still  more  closely  around  him, 
and  walked  out;  and  no  doubt  on  his  journey  homeward, 
a  spirit  of  supreme  thankfulness  came  over  him,  ashepon- 


156  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

dered  on  the  fact  that  the  faithful  squaw,  who  presided  in 
his  lodge,  bore  no  resemblance,  either  in  temper  or  char- 
acter, to  a  white  woman. 

Several  amusing  incidents  occurred  in  those  days, 
which  were  yet  discouraging  as  showing  the  existing  feel- 
ing. Seated  in  the  school  room  one  day  at  the  sewing 
machine,  we  suddenly  heard  a  slight  noise,  and  glancing 
up  saw  four  tall  Indians  standing  immediately  in  front  of 
us.  They  did  not  reply  to  the  salutation  given,  but  gazed 
at  us  with  threatening  looks,  until  one,  evidently  the 
spokesman  of  the  party,  pointing  straight  before  him  ve- 
hemently exclaimed: 

"You  church?"  (meaning  are  you  a  missionary?) 

"You  church?  if  you  church,  no  like  it,  we  kill  you. 
Injun  no  have  church,  don't  want  him." 

We  gazed  full  in  the  face  of  this  excited  questioner,  and 
explained  to  him  that  we  were  a  teacher  sent  by  Govern- 
ment to  teach  the  Indians,  and  hoped  to  be  of  benefit  to 
them,  and  do  them  some  good.  We  were  not  a  church. 
(Ah,  no.  It  was  clearly  a  case  of  mistaken  identity.  Not 
even  the  pillar  of  a  church,  leave  alone  the  whole  sacred 
edifice.  Having  no  claim  whatever  to  the  pulpit,  or  even 
the  contribution  box,  or  the  Sunday  school  library.  No, 
whatever  else  we  might  be  called  or  designated,  even  the 
wildest  imagination  could  not  see  any  resemblance  to  a 
church). 

Of  course  the  act  of  the  Indians  was  understood;  much 
as  they  were  opposed  to  education,  they  were  even  more 
prejudiced  against  any  efforts  made  for  the  purpose  of 
changing  their  religious  belief,  and  knowing  that  a  mis- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  157 

sionary  had  been  sent  them,  against  their  permission  and 
wishes,  it  excited  their  ire;  but  at  that  time  they  were  also 
opposed  to  a  teacher  and  a  school,  as  likely  to  have  the 
same  general  result,  eventually  teaching  them  to  adopt 
the  way  of  the  white  man. 

One  day,  quite  alone  in  the  school  room,  about  the 
hour  of  noon,  a  burley  Indian  walked  in,  known  to  us  by 
name  and  reputation,  as  being  one  of  the  worst  of  the  tribe, 
and  one  of  the  most  bitter  opponents  to  education,  or  pro- 
gression of  any  kind.  He  greeted  us  sullenly,  and  by  in- 
vitation took  a  chair  and  seated  himself.  Something  was 
the  matter.  It  could  be  seen  at  a  glance.  A  few  remarks 
were  made,  which  received  only  the  shortest  answer  from 
the  visitor,  who  finally  exclaimed: 

"You  teach?"  (asked  as  a  question.) 

"Oh,  yes." 

"You  teach  him  boy?"  (getting  still  more  angry.) 

"  Why,  yes  certainly,  if  the  boy  wants  to  learn.  Is  it 
your  boy?" 

That  was  the  finishing  stroke.  It  was  the  spark  that 
exploded  the  powder  magazine.  Not  understanding  the 
words,  and  perhaps  it  was  a  mutual  misunderstanding,  he 
sprang  up  in  the  greatest  excitement. 

"  You  catch-ee  my  boy,"  he  said,  "  you  catch-ee  my 
boy,  school  him,  me  kill  you,  yes  me  kill  you,"  he  uttered 
vindictively. 

Seeing  no  demonstration  of  either  fear  or  anger,  on  the 
part  of  the  listener,  he  again  took  his  seat  and  silence  en- 
sued for  some  time,  but  remembering  that  only  a  coward 
will  threaten  a  woman,  be  he  red  or  white,  our  courage 


158  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

did  not  desert  us.  There  was  no  place  to  run  to,  and  then 
it  is  undignified  to  run  away.  We  mentally  determined 
not  to  go  back  on  that  grand  principle  of  woman's  "right" 
that  has  come  down  through  the  ages,  (namely,  to  have 
the  last  word,)  and  also  resolved  to  make  a  personal  ap- 
plication of  the  words  of  our  Indian  friend,  and  advance  a 
few  home  truths  for  his  consideration. 

"Did  you  ever  see  a  man  hung?"  gently  the  question 
was  asked. 

"Oh,  yes,"  he  said,  interested  at  once,  "me  see  him." 

"Did  they  put  a  rope  around  his  neck?" 

"  You  bet,  big  rope,"  was  the  answer. 

"And  did  he  get  black  in  the  face?" 

"  Heap-ee  black.     Choke  him." 

"And  so  the  man  was  hung?"  (With  "malice  in- 
tent" we  led  on  our  unsuspecting  victim). 

"  Yes,  him  hung  dead." 

"What  did  he  do?" 

"  He  kill  man,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Oh,  indeed.  Then  1  suppose  that  is  what  they  will 
do  with  you  when  you  kill  me.  Indians  are  hung  some- 
times as  well  as  white  people."  Thus  we  basely  took  ad- 
vantage of  his  ignorance  of  the  laws  of  Iowa. 

He  did  not  reply,  but  probably  considering  the  con- 
versation was  becoming  too  personal,  made  preparation  to 
leave.  Asked  for  a  match  to  light  his  pipe,  and  in  res- 
ponse to  the  invitation  to  come  again,  said  he  would  do  so, 
and  with  a  jingling  of  silver  ornaments,  and  feathers  wav- 
ing, he  disappeared  through  the  door  with  the  farewell 
greeting,  "  Goo  bye." 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  159 

We  had  no  farther  trouble  with  our  friend  of  the 
murderous  intentions,  who  became  quite  friendly  after,  in 
fact  so  much  so  that  he  came  in  a  few  days  time,  and 
(probably  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  magnanimity  of 
his  disposition,)  asked  for  the  loan  of  fifty  cents. 

The  threatened  storm  was  then  succeeded  by  a  cairn. 
After  this  little  episode  the  Indian  took  particular  pains  to 
prove  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  adopt  the  peace  policy, 
and  ever  after  greeted  us  with  a  gigantic  smile  that  illu- 
minated his  dusky  face,  even  taking  some  pains  to  go  out 
of  his  way  to  speak  a  word  or  two  of  greeting  whenever 
opportunity  presented  itself. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Language— Elliott's  Bible— The   First  Pupil— Saw-swa— Punish- 
ment— Object  Lessons— The  Voice  of  Nature. 

The  language  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe  consists  of 
small  words,  or  syllables  only,  in  this  respect  differing 
from  that  of  any  others,  whose  words  are  so  long  that  it 
takes  a  strong  mind  to  grapple  with  them,  and  when  you 
begin  you  cannot  tell  what  length  you  may  reach  before 
the  end  is  gained.  Some  savage  tribes  adopt  the  plan  of 
writing  by  picture.  They  make  a  series  of  pictures  which 
is  intended  to  convey  to  the  beholder  some  deed  they  have 
accomplished,  and  all  circumstances  pertaining  thereto; 
such  as  the  number  of  Indians  who  went  against  the  foe; 
what  spoils  were  taken,  and  how  many  scalps.  If  the  band 
was  the  Wolf  band,  a  large  wolf  would  be  drawn,  and  the 
number  of  tomahawks  which  followed  showed  the  strength 
of  the  party.  An  eagle  opposite  denotes  that  the  Eagle 
band  is  the  foe.  Arrows  following  give  their  numbers, 
and  the  squaws  who  come  after  with  bowed  head,  show 
how  many  of  the  band  have  been  killed.  Thus  the  eye 
takes  in  the  whole  story  at  one  glance. 

The  syllables  comprising  the  language  of  this  tribe 
are  twelve  in  number;  these  have  different  changes,  four  in 
each  order.  They  are  spelt  as  nearly  as  possible  as  the 
pronunciation  goes,  the  English  letters,  however,  are  made 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  l6l 

slightly  different.  The  letter  i  is  always  sounded  e,  and  e 
a.  As  an  illustration,  the  words  "  now  my  friend,"  are  na- 
e-cha-to,  taken  from  syllables  7,  i,  4,  3.  A  number  of 
words,  substantially  the  same,  have  widely  different  mean- 
ings when  placed  in  connection  with  others. 

1.  Ah,  aye,  e,  o. 

2.  Ba,  bay,  be,  bo. 

3.  Tau,  ta,  te,  to. 

4.  Cha,  ch.iy,  che,  cho. 

5.  Rau,  ra,  re,  ro. 

6.  Mau,  ma,  me,  mo. 

7.  Nau,  na,  n.e,  no 

8.  Kau,  ka,  ke,  ko. 

9.  Pau,  pa,  pe,  po. 
10.     Wau,  wa,  we,  wo. 
IT.     Qua,  qa,  que,  qo. 
12.     Tta,  tta,  tte,  tto. 

With  these  words,  or  rather  these  syllables,  when 
formed  into  words,  the  Indians  carry  on  a  large  corres- 
pondence with  friends  in  Indian  Territory,  and  elsewhere. 
Even  the  smaller  children  understand  the  art  of  writing, 
according  to  this  system,  and  nearly  all,  old  and  young, 
understand  how  to  read  and  write  in  their  own  lan- 
guage. 

The  following  is  the  method,  or  rather  words  used  in 
counting,  from  one  to  ten: 

Nacote,  one;  nigh,  two;  ness,  three;  neane,  four;  neol- 
len,  five;  cautwassick,  six;  nawhick,  seven;  swaussick, 
eight;  sauk,  nine;  mataus,  ten. 

From  the  length  of  the  title,  some  idea  may  be  gained 


l62  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE  MUSQUAKIES. 

of  the  vast  amount  of  work  it  took  Elliott  to  complete  the 
Bible,  so  called,  "in  the  Indian  tongue,"  which  was  the 
language  then  of  twenty  small  tribes,  who  are  now  extinct, 
and  it  is  recorded  this  Bible  cannot  be  read  by  any  living 
perspn  at  the  present  time.  It  would  seem  to  have  been  a 
much  easier  task,  and  one  that  would  have  had  larger  and 
better  results,  to  have  taught  the  Indians  the  English  lan- 
guage, and  how  to  read  the  English  version.  Now  the 
Bible  is  preserved  in  the  museum  as  a  work  that  cost  a 
vast  amount  of  money  to  complete,  and  gives  evidence  of 
the  toil,  energy  and  successful  labor  of  one  earnest  and  de- 
voted man.  Otherwise  it  is  practically  of  no  use  what- 
ever. Ponder  on  the  title,  then  on  the  concise  beauty  of 
the  English  tongue:  "Mamussee  Wunneetupanatamwe 
Up-Biblum  God,  Naneeswe  Nuk-kone  Testament,  Kah 
Work  Wuska  Testament." 

It  is  possible  to  get  too  much  even  of  a  good  thing, 
and  if  the  title  is  any  specimen  of  the  words  that  composed 
the  contents,  the  injunction  to  "search  the  scriptures," 
must  have  been  attended  with  considerable  labor,  and  a 
good  many  linguistic  exclamations  on  the  part  of  the  sava- 
ges, and  with  such  a  ponderous  language  is  it  any  wonder 
they  soon  became  extinct? 

Our  first  pupil,  who  came  freely  of  his  own  accord, 
and  expressed  a  desire  to  attend  school,  and  a  willingness 
to  learn,  was  a  young  Indian.  It  needs  the  brush  of  a 
painter  to  give  an  adequate  description  of  his  costume,  as 
he  appeared  one  balmy  day  in  summer,  at  the  school  room 
door.  He  wore  rubber  boots,  for  what  reason  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  determine,  as  there  had  been  no  rain  for  several 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  163 

weeks;  feathers  were  in  his  hair,  and  a  liberal  supply  of 
paint  upon  his  face.  He  was  clad  in  a  long  ulster  under- 
neath which  could  be  seen  a  green  shirt,  profusely  decora- 
ted with  bright  ribbons.  We  gazed  in  mutual  surprise  at 
each  other,  but  he  received  a  cordial  welcome,  and  prom- 
ised to  become  a  regular  attendant.  Several  others  fol- 
lowed, with  different  variety  in  matter  of  costume.  At 
first  they  were  mostly  young  men,  or  girls,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  the  children  could  be  induced  to  attend. 
It  was  here  a  little  and  there  a  little,  no  regular  routine 
could  be  observed.  You  might  have  system  and  rule  one 
day,  but  the  next  you  would  undoubtedly  be  minus  your 
pupils,  and  when  that  occurs  you  may  quietly  fold  your 
hands,  and  think  upon  the  mutability  of  earthly  things  for 
there  is  no  means  of  making  attendance  compulsory.  But 
as  time  went  on,  a  good  deal  of  the  prejudice  disappeared, 
and  the  school  was  fairly  established.  Several  young  men 
learned  to  play  simple  tunes  upon  the  organ,  and  the  girls 
became  quite  proficient  in  sewing,  as  well  as  in  the  use  of 
the  sewing  machine.  Imagine  the  young  Indian  clad  with 
dignity,  and  a  blanket,  the  Indian  maiden  whose  future 
was  all  unknown,  yet  who  would  in  the  course  of  human 
events,  probably  grace  the  lodge  of  a  brave;  the  little  chil- 
dren with  flashing  eyes  and  shy  diffident  manner  until  they 
knew  you.  Gradually  but  surely  their  confidence  was 
gained.  The  prospect  became  more  encouraging.  A 
number  learned  to  read  and  write,  and  the  work  in  the 
school  room  that  had  been  industrial  only,  began  to  change 
to  something  different.  Thirteen  little  boys  were  at  one 
time  in  one  class,  reading  or  spelling,  each  in  their  turn, 


164  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

and  it  began  to  seem  possible  that  the  day  would  come 
when  system  might  be  observed.  The  difficulty  of  hav- 
ing regular  school  hours,  it  was  found  impossible  to  over- 
come. The  Indians  knew  nothing  of  time,  or  rather  its 
value,  and  the  greater  number  lived  about  a  mile  distant, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  By  those  who  had  lived 
with  them  for  years,  it  was  a  great  achievement  to  get 
them  to  attend  at  all,  so  that  these  minor  matters  were 
unnoticed.  It  was  thought  wisdom  to  let  "well  enough" 
alone.  So  time  went  on,  something  had  been  accomplish- 
ed, but  there  was  very  much  still  to  do. 

The  opinions  of  the  press  are  all  powerful.  About  this 
time  the  following  appeared  in  the  Free  Press,  a  paper 
published  in  Tama  City,  three  miles  distant  from  the  In- 
dian camp: 

"We  understand  that  quite  a  number  of  the  Musqua- 
kies  are  now  showing  some  interest  in  the  matter  of  edu- 
cation, and  since  their  school  (three  miles  west  of  town)  has 
been  reopened  this  spring  by  the  Government  teacher, 
there  was  a  regular  attendance  during  the  month  of  May 
of  eighteen.  As  this  is  the  first  attempt  to  educate  the 
children  that  has  ever  proved  successful,  it  is  hoped  that 
this  is  an  omen  of  the  future  civilization  and  progression 
of  the  tribe." 

A  young  Indian  by  the  name  of  Saw-swa  came  to  the 
school  one  day  and  confidentially  informed  us  that  he 
wanted  to  learn  to  read  and  write  in  English,  and  that  he 
would  come  every  day  for  that  purpose.  Saw-swa  kept 
his  word.  At  some  hour  of  the  day  he  would  appear* 
read  a  few  lessons,  etc.,  then  take  his  departure.  This 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  165 

was  kept  up  for  a  couple  of  months,  and  the  attendance  of 
an  Indian  who  did  not  fear  to  take  his  book  in  the  pres- 
ence of  others  and  read,  had  a  good  effect. 

One  day  Savv-swa  came  with  a  somewhat  forlorn  ap- 
pearance and  took  his  place  as  of  old,  but  not  his  book. 

"Are  you  going  to  read  now?" 

"  No,"  he  said,  "no  more  school." 

"But  why  not?  don't  you  like  to  come?" 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  but  learn  is  bad." 

"  Oh,  no,  it  is  not  bad  to  learn.  Who  told  you  that, 
and  why  do  you  think  so?" 

Placing  his  hand  upon  his  heart  with  a  glance  upward, 
he  exclaimed: 

"  Man-i-tou  tells  me  here." 

What  could  be  said?  How  combat  against  this  depth 
of  superstition,  that  could  yet  win  fidelity  to  itself?  The 
Indian's  objection  to  do  what  he  had  been  taught  was 
wrong,  was  something  to  be  admired;  the  principle  in- 
volved of  being  true  to  our  personal  convictions,  (though 
even  they  be  error,)  was  not  to  be  condemned  because 
found  in  the  heart  of  one  whose  crude  ideas  of  right  and 
wrong  were  still  in  a  torpid  state. 

We  said  nothing.  At  that  time  it  almost  appeared  a  base 
thing  to  urge  him  to  abjure  his  faith  and  act  in  direct  op- 
position to  the  religious  teachings  of  his  people,  and  the 
sentiments  implanted  in  his  nature  from  earliest  infancy. 
Like  "doing  evil  that  good  might  come."  So  we  said 
nothing,  and  Saw-swa  departed,  never  again  to  have  the 
same  desire.  Often  was  he  talked  to  afterward,  but  never 
relented.  Many  and  many  a  time  his  footsteps  crossed 


l66  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

the  threshhold  of  the  school  room,  but  "knowledge"  had 
no  further  charms. 

The  Musquakies  do  not  whip  their  children.  If  they 
are  disobedient  and  require  punishment,  their  faces  and 
hands  are  blackened  with  soot.  This  is  to  show  that  they 
have  done  wrong,  and  that  God,  therefore,  holds  them  in 
abhorrence.  As  long  as  the  punishment  lasts,  which  is 
generally  from  morning  'till  sunset,  nothing  at  all  is  eaten, 
excepting  by  very  small  children,  and  in  this  respect  they 
are  very  conscientious.  They  have  been  known  to  refuse 
cake  and  fruit  until  the  time  had  expired,  although  none  of 
their  friends  would  have  known  they  had  eaten  it. 

Asking  a  little  boy  whose  face  had  thus  been  tam- 
pered with:  "  Have  you  been  bad?"  he  will  answer,  "Yes," 
or  reply  with  bowed  head  only.  They  neither  attempt  to 
deny  or  make  excuse  for  any  wrong  doing,  but  bear  the 
punishment  patiently  and  without  any  resentment.  They 
sometimes  go  with  blackened  faces  in  mourning  for  a  rel- 
ative or  friend. 

It  is  difficult  to  make  an  Indian  understand  or  believe 
that  the  earth  is  round.  In  illustrating  by  the  globe,  and 
explaining  that  it  is  a  representation  of  the  earth,  etc.,  he 
will  shake  his  head,  and  immediately  point  at  the  land- 
scape, which  is  proof  conclusive  to  him  that  you  have  either 
been  trying  to  impose  on  his  credulity,  or  are  yourself 
mistaken.  An  object  will  teach  better  than  a  lesson  in  a 
book.  The  children  were  taught  the  English  name  of 
everything  visible  to  the  eye,  in  or  out  of  the  school  room. 
Every  article  of  furniture  afforded  them  a  spelling  lesson. 
They  were  then  required  to  give  its  use,  of  what  made,  its 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  167 

probable  cost,  and  the  cost  of  a  number  added  together. 
So  they  were  at  first  advanced  by  the  most  simple  means, 
until  becoming  interested,  books  were  introduced.  By 
this  time  the  children  had  overcome  their  fear  of  the  school 
room,  and  were  daily  attendants.  Men  and  women  also 
came,  and  while  many  were  willing  to  be  taught,  others 
became  visitors,  only  from  curiosity,  or  to  have  somewhere 
to  go. 

The  school  increased  in  number,  the  largest  attendance 
being  twenty-seven.  Many  a  time  the  school  room  held 
the  Chiefs  and  Councillors,  or  the  leading  men  of  the  tribe, 
who  came  in  for  a  friendly  talk,  and  to  see  what  was  go- 
ing on.  All  wore  a  smile,  and  all,  without  exception, 
treated  us  with  courtesv,  though  prompted  by  a  rude  na- 
ture, and  with  a  consideration  that  showed  kindly  feeling. 
You  are  not  forgotten,  even  your  painted  features  are  not 
repulsive,  so  accustomed  we  are  to  the  sight.  Your  red 
blankets  give  a  thrill  of  interest,  and  a  kindred  feeling 
makes  us  even  condone  the  laziness  of  your  race.  And 
why  not?  Solomon  says  there  is  nothing  better  under  the 
sun  than  "to  eat  and  drink,  and  be  merry."  Then  the 
Indian  may  have  by  nature,  that  wisdom  which  we,  with 
our  boasted  knowledge,  lack.  With  no  more  care  than 
the  iillies,  as  to  how  they  shall  eat  or  drink,  or  wherewithal 
they  shall  be  clothed,  (and  this  is  often  only  a  secondary 
consideration,)  they  roam  with  light  footstep  over  God's 
green  earth,  as  if  it  was  their  heritage.  The  waving  trees, 
and  the  sparkling  water  is  akin  to  them.  Even  the  wind 
as  it  wails  through  the  forest,  finds  a  corresponding 
echo  in  the  heart. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

• 

Jimmie— Pee-to— Victory  or  Defeat,  Which?— A  Lesson— O-one- 
e— A  Fight— Shyness  of  the  Indian  Girl— Letters— Painting 
a  Picture --Visitors— "The  Nasty  Things"— A  Frosty  Pres- 
ence— "  Quid  Erin." 

One  of  the  brightest  little  boys  in  the  school  was  Jimmie, 
quick  to  learn,  and  prompt  in  answering;  but  poor  Jimmie, 
met  a  tragic  death.  Out  with  a  hunting  party  some- 
where in  the  vicinity  of  Traer,  with  his  gun  in  his  hand,  he 
attempted  to  crawl  under  a  wire  fence,  and  the  wire  catch- 
ing the  trigger,  the  gun  exploded  and  he  was  shot,  dying 
instantly.  Sad  were  the  faces  of  his  little  playmates  when 
his  body  was  brought  back  home  to  be  buried  in  the  In- 
dian graveyard;  and  the  boys  with  whom  he  had  been  ac- 
customed to  play,  went  with  blackened  faces  in  token  of 
mourning  for  their  little  comrade. 

Pee-to,  with  the  musical  name,  and  the  bright  black 
eyes,  always  the  first  at  the  school  room  door,  and  the  last 
to  leave.  Many  an  hour  have  we  spent  together  in  the 
days  now  past.  Pee-to  was  an  apt  scholar,  and  learned  to 
read  and  write  quickly.  About  ten  years  of  age,  he  was 
passionately  fond  of  tobacco  in  any  form,  and  many  a 
bunch  of  fragrant  cigarettes  disappeared  in  blue  smoke 
from  the  mouth  of  Pee-to.  Only  once  was  there  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion  between  himself  and  his  teacher,  and  it  is 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  169 

still  a  vexed  question  as  to  who  eventually  gained  the  vic- 
tory. Pee-to,  always  obedient  heretofore,  attempted  to 
leave  the  school  room  one  day,  after  being  told  to  read. 
He  stood  at  the  door  quite  determined  to  open  it  and  pass 
out.  It  was  a  critical  moment,  and  the  time  had  come  for 
action.  Placing  a  hand  on  Pee-to's  arm  we  led  him  to  a 
chair  and  made  him  sit  down,  but  whether  from  fear,  or 
some  other  reason,  he  commenced  to  howl  at  the  top  of 
his  voice,  in  such  an  unearthly  manner  that  we  quite  ex- 
pected to  see  the  whole  Indian  camp  rushing  to  the  res- 
cue with  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife. 

Pee-to  continued  his  noisy  demonstrations  for  at  least 
ten  minutes,  and  having  read  somewhere  that  a  retreat  is 
sometimes  more  glorious  than  a  victory,  we  retreated  and 
let  Pee-to  have  the  field,  telling  him  he  had  better  go  home, 
which  he  accordingly  did  with  the  greatest  alacrity,  while 
his  howls  were  wafted  back  to  our  ears  as  he  climbed  the 
hill  on  his  journey  homeward.  Pee-to  took  a  week  to  get 
over  the  insult  offered  him,  then  came  near  the  school 
house  and  staved  outside  for  several  hours,  but  no  notice 
was  taken  of  him.  Not  understanding  this,  the  next  cay 
he  came  to  the  door  and  sat  on  the  step  for  an  hour  or 
more,  and  not  being  able  to  stay  away  any  longer,  the  suc- 
ceeding day  he  came  back  to  school  and  was  our  good 
friend  again. 

Me-she-kiah  was  a  perfect  little  barbarian,  yet  on  the 
whole  good  natured.  It  was  thought  a  great  victory 
when  he  was  induced  to  learn,  for  he  stoutly  contested  the 
matter  for  some  time.  Me-she-kiah,  and  other  little  boys 
picked  up  the  chorus  of  "Peekaboo,"  and  it  was  quite 


I7O  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

amusing  to  hear  them  sing  it,  and  to  a  stranger  seemed 
an  utter  incongruity;  but  Indian  boys  are  very  much  like 
other  children,  quick  to  learn  what  is  of  no  benefit,  and 
not  so  ready  to  learn  what  is  useful. 

Ke-pe-tau,  among  the  first  pupils  at  the  school,  was 
about  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  learned  to  read  and 
write,  and  evinced  quite  a  taste  for  music,  learning  to  play 
several  tunes  on  the  organ.  For  about  a  year  he  has  been 
traveling  with  a  museum  in  the  cities  of  the  east,  and  is 
earning  a  good  salary. 

Several  others  might  be  named,  both  children  and 
adults.  The  largest  number  reached  was  twenty-seven. 
These  came  for  several  months,  and  were  regular  atten- 
dants, when  the  number  again  began  to  decrease.  Some 
were  easily  reached,  with  others  diplomacy  was  used. 
Several  young  men  came  daily,  who  did  not  dream  they 
were  going  to  school.  They  were  asked  the  name  of 
things  in  their  own  language,  then  told  what  it  was  in  En- 
glish, afterward  learning  to  spell  the  word.  The  question 
was  then  given  what  price  would  be  paid  for  a  number  of 
yards  of  ribbon,  at  so  much  per  yard,  or  what  several  arti- 
cles at  a  certain  price  each,  would  cost?  These  were  lead- 
ing questions,  and  would  be  followed  by  others  of  the 
same  nature.  A  great  deal  of  interest  was  evinced,  and 
there  was  some  rivalry  to  see  who  would  give  the  correct 
answer  first.  Then  the  names  of  the  towns  in  the  vicinity 
and  elsewhere  would  be  given,  and  spelled.  At  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  teacher,  one  of  them  would  see  how  many 
he  could  remember  to  write  in  a  copy  book,  or  on  a  slate. 
Then  the  others  must  do  the  same,  and  thev  would  fre- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  17 1 

quently  be  kept  busy  for  several  hours.  The  same  course 
was  taken  nearly  every  day,  and  they  had  no  thought  they 
were  learning  anything  at  school,  and  would  utterly  have 
repudiated  the  idea. 

With  the  children  an  entirely  different  course  was  pur- 
sued, and  once  their  interest  excited,  they  were  not  diffi- 
cult to  teach.  The  Chief  (by  hereditary  right)  of  the  Elk 
.band  is  O-one-e,  a  boy  about  thirteen  years  of  age.  He 
never  could  be  induced  to  attend  school  for  any  length  of 
time.  He  is  treacherous  and  bad  tempered,  a  tyrant 
among  his  play  fellows,  ready  to  fight  on  small  provoca- 
tion, which  is  very  rare  among  the  Indian  boys.  The 
right  of  Chieftainship  has  not  invested  him  with  any  attri- 
butes of  goodness,  and  unless  there  is  a  great  change,  it 
will  be  well  for  the  tribe  if  O-one-e  be  gathered  home  to 
his  fathers  before  tribal  law  is  invested  in  his  hands. 

We  once  saw  O-one-e  in  a  fight  with  She-she-co-ness, 
son  of  a  Chief.  Both  were  about  the  same  age  and 
pretty  fairly  matched.  The  one  boy  had  been  at  school, 
and  on  coming  out  had  some  words  with  the  redoubtable 
O-one-e,  which  resulted  in  a  fight.  Over  and  over  they 
rolled  in  a  frantic  endeavor  to  prove  who  was  the  best 
fighter,  scratching  and  pulling  each  others  hair,  biting,  etc., 
something  after  the  manner  of  warfare  said  to  be  prac- 
ticed by  the  Kilkenny  cats. 

We  gazed  quite  placidly  at  the  scene  for  a  few  min- 
utes, for  O-one-e  was  undoubtedly  getting  the  worst  of  it, 
and  like  the  Judge  who  sentenced  the  prisoner  to  be  hung, 
not  that  he  was  found  guilty  of  the  indictment,  but  on  the 
general  principle  that  he  deserved  it  any  way,  for  former 


172  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

misdeeds;  so  when  O-one-e  had,  in  our  judgment,  been 
sufficiently  punished  for  his  former  misdeeds,  we  went  out 
and  stopped  any  further  manifestation  of  war,  and  who 
would  eventually  have  carried  oft'  the  palm  of  victory  still 
remains  in  doubt. 

A  peculiarity  of  the  Indian  girls  is  especially  noticea- 
ble. They  are  very  loth  to  enter,  or  remain  in  a  room, 
where  there  are  any  men  or  boys,  and  if  they  do  so,  sit. 
perfectly  silent,  their  faces  almost  hidden  in  their  blankets. 
We  believe  this  is  owing  to  custom,  and  not  from  that 
acute  sense  of  modesty  it  would  seem  to  indicate.  From 
this  fact,  and  others,  the  girls  are  much  harder  to  be  reach- 
ed in  the  matter  of  education  than  the  boys.  About  ten 
attended  the  school,  though  a  much  larger  number  came 
to  do  industrial  work,  such  as  sewing,  etc. 

In  spite  of  the  shyness  of  the  Indian  maiden  when  in 
the  presence  of  some  youthful  brave,  feminine  nature  must 
assert  itself,  be  it  white  or  red,  and  sometimes  notes  would 
be  written  from  one  to  the  other  in  true  boy  and  girl  fash- 
ion. We  have  found  many  of  these  notes  hidden  outside 
the  school  building  in  some  impromptu  postoffice,  waiting 
for  the  caller,  and  on  having  some  interpreted  found  them 
to  be  a  most  innocent  method  of  making  love,  as  they  re- 
ferred generally  to  the  weather,  or  the  prospect  of  having 
a  dance,  generally  beginning  with  the  query,  "Now  my 
friend,  how  you  get  along?"  and  ending  with,  "You  write 
me  a  letter,"  and  the  name  of  the  writer.  Whether  Cupid 
gave  an  added  charm  to  these  sedate  epistles,  it  is  not  for 
us  to  say. 

When  once  acquainted  with  them  the  Indian  girls  are 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  173 

socially  inclined,  will  talk  with  you  freely,  mention  little 
items  of  news, or  answer  any  questions  asked;  if,  however, 
they  are  absent  and  are  not  seen  for  some  time,  the  same 
shyness  will  manifest  itself  as  on  your  first  acquaintance. 

The  following  are  specimens  of  letters  written  in  En- 
glish to  the  teacher,  by  Indian  boys: 

"  CENTER  POINT,  IOWA,  Jan.  10,  1884. 
Miss  Teacher,  Tama  City,  Iowa: 

Dear  Sister — I  like  to  hear  from  you.     We  at  Center 
Point  now.     Wau-com-mo   sick.     I  sick.     You  tell  Ke- 
shup-pe,  Mesh-a-paw-kee  sick.     May  be  no  get  well.     Me 
get  well.     I  trap  and  get  furs.     You  write  to  me. 
From  your  relation, 

N  A  H-SHE-AS-KAW." 

The  above  named  Indian  also  wrote  a  letter  in  English 
for  an  old  woman,  who  went  around  begging,  which  ex- 
plains itself: 

"The  bearer  of  this  is  a  poor  old  woman.  If  you  will 
give  her  some  cofiee,  or  beans  and  pork,  it  will  do  you 
some  good. 

Your  friend, 

JOHN  C.  MORGAN." 

The  writer  forgot  to  mention  that  the  liberality  of  the 
giver  would  also  do  the  old  woman  seme  good.  Here  is 
another,  which  is  also  quite  unique  in  its  way,  and  proves 
that  the  writer  had  not  a  very  high  opinion  of  the  conduct 
of  white  persons  when  visiting  the  Indian  camp: 


174  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

"TAMA  CITY,  IOWA,  Nov.  15,  1884. 
This  man  is  traveling  to  hunt  and  trap.     He  is  a  good 
Indian  and  a  respectable  man.     White  people,  when  you 
visit  his  camp  please  to  behave.     He  is  my  brother-in-law, 
and  oblige,  JOHN  C.  MORGAN." 

"  SCHOOL  HOUSE,  SAC  AND  FOY  AGENCY, 

June  10,  1885. 

My  Dear  Friend — How  you  getting  along  to-day? 
I  hope  you  well.  I  go  some  time  Winnebago  Agen- 
cy, see  my  folks.  My  sister,  she  marry  Musquakie. 
I  live  with  my  brother-in-law.  We  have  good  time  here, 
dance  pretty  much.  I  go  to  Tama  City  after  a  while,  ride 
on  pony.  I  write  this  letter  at  school  house.  Good  bye 
this  time.  From  your  friend, 

SAM  LINCOLN." 

Another  delivered  by  the  hand  of  the  writer  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

"SCHOOL  HOUSE,  June  10,  1884. 

Dear  Friend  Nai-cha-to — How  you  getting  along? 
You  get  for  me  some  alcohol.  Whisky  no  good,  make 
sick.  Alcohol  hot,  pretty  good.  Good  bye  my  friend. 

WAU- PA-MACK." 

Much  as  we  should  have  liked  to  oblige  Wau-pa-mack 
in  anything  else,  we'utterly  refused  to  do  so  in  this  respect, 
and  told  him  that  alcohol  was  even  worse  than  whisky, 
and  would  also  make  him  sick,  and  that  he  should  never 
use  either,"  it  was  bad.  ^He  assented  to  this,  remarking 
that  it  made  "Injun  heap-ee  fool,"  so  from  cause  to  effect, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  175 

• 

Indians  and  whites  seem  to  be  affected  alike  in  this  res- 
pect. 

Another  paper  written  in  school  and  handed  to  the 
teacher  for  inspection,  from  one  whose  idea  of  dimension 
was  rather  vague,  contained  the  following: 

"This  is  the  largest  school  house  in  the  world. 

NOTEN-O-SKUK." 

The  Indians  evince  a  natural  taste  for  drawing,  but  in 
painting,  not  being  used  to  artistic  touches,  they  at  first 
seemed  to  have  no  idea  whatever  of  the  fitness  of  things, 
as  far  as  the  blending  of  color  was  concerned.  For  in- 
stance a  pig  was  drawn,  so  true  to  life  you  could  almost 
(not  quite)  hear  it  grunt.  When  completed  it  had  a  blue 
bodv  and  green  ears,  and  in  the  distance  an  Indian  was 
seen  with  a  yellow  and  green  blanket,  and  red  feathers  in 
his  hair. 

On  observing  to  a  little  boy,  who  showed  with  evident 
pride  his  first  attempt  to  make  a  picture  after  his  own 
ideas. 

"  Why,  how  is  this?     Is  an  Indian  larger  than  a  pig? 

"Yes/' 

"How  much?" 

"Oh,  big,  heap-ee?" 

"But  your  Indian  in  the  picture  is  not  a  great  deal  lar- 
ger than  the  pig?  How  is  that?" 

"Injun  long  way  off,  make  him  small." 

"  Well,  and  did  you  ever  see  a  blue  pig  with  green 
ears?" 

He  thought  for  a  while  and  then  remarked  that  the 


176  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

pig  was  painted  for  a  feast,  and  that  the  Indian  was  com- 
ing to  get  him. 

Quite  an  accurate  picture  of  the  State  Capitol  was 
drawn  in  the 'school  by  a  young  Indian,  from  memory  only, 
which  is  preserved  with  several  others,  as  a  curiosity. 
One  painting,  especially  good,  also  done  in  the  school  by 
an  Indian,  received  some  commendation  from  an  artist, 
who  carefully  observed  it,  asserting  that  though  only  a 
crude  effort,  there  were  touches  in  it  that  showed  the  hand 
of  the  true  artist,  it  being  done  without  copy  of  any  kind. 
We  have  the  painting  but  the  hand  which  painted  it  is  cold 
and  still. 

The  following,  written  by  a  visitor  who  spent  a  day  at 
the  school,  appeared  in  the  Belle  Plaine  Independent  and 
Tama  Herald,  in  November,  1884: 

"  On  Thursday  of  last  week  we  had  occasion  to  visit 
Tama  City,  and  by  invitation  of  the  Government  teacher, 
we  visited  the  Indian  school  and  camps.  This  is  the  only 
school  there  is  for  the  Indians.  Miss  Busby  organized 
and  has  been  teaching  it  for  about  a  year  and  a  half,  and  a 
marked  change  for  the  better  is  manifest  in  the  tribe  since 
she  began  laboring  among  them.  There  is  now  an  aver- 
age daily  attendance  of  about  fifteen,  whereas,  when  the 
school  was  first  opened  it  was  several  weeks  before  there 
were  any  pupils.  Many  of  them  now  read  and  write,  and 
a  few  show  considerable  skill  in  drawing  and  music." 

Other  visitors  to  the  school  were  many,  and  of  varied 
peculiarity.  Some  had  received  their  ideas  of  'Indians  in 
the  east,  and  were  somewhat  shocked  to  find  the  difference 
between  imagination  and  reality. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  177 

Others  came  and  expressed  a  desire,  even  a  prayerful 
desire,  that  the  souls  of  the  Indians  should  be  saved,  but 
the}'  wanted  it  done  by  proxy,  and  did  not  care  personally 
to  be  a  party  to  the  transaction,  or  endure  any  of  the  un- 
pleasant things  that  must  ensue  before  such  a  good  work 
was  accomplished.  Evidently  they  had  never  pondered 
on  the  motto,  "Consistency,  thou  art  a  jewel." 

Again,  there  were  visitors  of  the  exclamatory  kind,  and 
naturally  of  course  these  were  young  ladies  of  the  timid 
order,  who  possessed  all  the  affectations  peculiar  to  so 
many  of  their  sex.  A  scientist  might  be  of  the  opinion  that 
they  were  afflicted  with  non-development  of  the  brain,  but 
far  be  it  from  us  to  suggest,  or  even  believe  for  a  moment 
such  a  dread  possibility;  let  the  reader  form  an  opinion  for 
himself. 

•'Oh,  dear,  I  cant  bear  to  have  one  of  the  nasty  things 
look  at  me,"  and 

"  Oh,  dear,  dear,  I  should  certainly  die  of  fright  if  one 
of  them  touched  me,"  and  several  of  the  "nasty  things" 
standing  near  perfectly  understood  the  remarks  of  the  vis- 
itor, one  afterward  exclaiming  with  a  good  deal  of  scorn, 
"Ugh,  Injun  no  touch  him." 

Then  came  an  eastern  school  teacher,  wrapped  in  all 
the  dignity  peculiar  to  her  calling,  in  that  country  of  "cul- 
tah."  She  was  prim,  yet  gracious,  curious  but  lady  like. 
No  doubt  she  had  the  learning  of  the  wise,  and  the  erudi- 
tion of  the  ages  at  her  finger  tips,  yet  was  a  novice  in  the 
A,  B,  C,  of  Indian  life  or  character.  This  lady  spent  a 
couple  of  hours  in  the  school,  and  when  she  returned  to 
her  eastern  home,  no  doubt  witb  a  laudable  desire  to  en- 


178  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

lighten  the  public  on  the  Indian  question,  forthwith  wrote 
a  column  and  a  half  article  with  reference  to  her  visit, 
which  was  published  in  a  leading  paper. 

Then  there  were  others  who  presented  a  somewhat 
frosty  aspect,  and  had  not  the  courtesy  to  disguise  it,  view- 
ing everything  from  a  preconceived  standpoint  of  preju- 
dice and  suspicion.  In  justice  to  our  visitors  let  us  say 
these  were  few  in  number.  In  fact,  our  memory  recalls 
but  one,  who,  wrapped  in  a  pharisaical  mantle  of  self-right- 
eousness, sat  in  chilling  dignity,  a  veritable  Manitoba  wave 
emanating  from  her  presence,  while  imagination  beheld  the 
pursed  up  lips  echoing  the  prayer  of  the  Pharisee. 

Often,  too,  came  the  jolly  visitors,  full  of  eager  ques- 
tioning as  to  this,  or  that.  What  matter  if  their  questions 
were  wide  of  the  mark,  or  did  not  always  display  wisdom? 
They  were  always  friendly  and  good  natured,  and  thank- 
ful for  any  stray  crumbs  of  information  scattered  around. 

One  balmy  day  in  summer,  about  the  hour  of  noon,  a 
knock  was  heard  at  the  school  room  door,  and  on  answer- 
ing it  a  quaint  figure  presented  itself.  In  stature  short, 
broad  and  ruddy  of  face,  with  a  nose  that  seemed  ever 
seeking  the  odor  of  a  celestial  sphere;  evidently  it  was  an 
"  exile  from  Erin  "  that  stood  before  us.  Curious  he  gazed 
around.  His  irascible  temperament  was  plainly  shown  by 
his  countenace,  and  he  evidently  possessed  all  the  pugnacious 
qualities  generally  ascribed  to  the  hero  of  Don ny brook 
Fair.  With  the  native  gallantry  of  an  Irishman  he  dofted 
his  hat,  and  in  the  tender  accents  of  Ould  |Erin  thus  ad- 
dressed us: 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  179 

"  O'im  thraveling,  ov  ye  plaze,  an'  I'd  like  to  be  seein 
the  Injuns,  the  craythurs." 

"The  most  of  the  Indians  live  at  the  village,  which  is 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  You  can  see  a  great  many 
there." 

"  An'  now,  I  dun  no,  is  it  purfectly  safe  fur  me,  wid 
sich  fellows?" 

"Oh,  they  will  not  hurt  you  at  all." 

"Thin  I  dun  'no 'bout  that.  Maybe  mesilf  '11  not  giv 
'em  the  chance. 

"  Well,  if  you  like  you  can  wait  here.  It  is  probable 
some  of  the  Indians  will  come  in  a  short  time." 

Shutting  one  eye,  with  the  other  he  took  in  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  building,  and  its  general  appearance. 

"An'  phwat  kind  ov  a  plaze  is  it?" 

"Do  you  mean  this  building?     It  is  a  school  house." 

"  An'  could  ye  pertect  me  ov  I  sthay?'' 

"Oh,  I  think  so." 

"Oh,  yis,  ye  think  so,"  (emphatically,)  "sure  that's  no 
assurance  to  a  man.  An'  is  there  eny  fire  arrums  about?" 

"  Not  here,  but  most  of  the  Indians  have  revolvers." 

Just  at  that  moment  a  terriffic  whoop  was  heard,  and 
two  young  Indians  were  seen  riding  with  furious  speed  to- 
ward the  building.  They  had  on  the  full  regalia  of  feath- 
ers, ornaments,  beads,  etc.,  and  on  coming  closer  were 
seen  to  be  hideously  painted.  At  the  sight  the  visitor  hur- 
riedly remarking: 

"An'  I  have'nt  the  toime  to  be  phwaiting  eny  longer," 
made  a  hasty  departure,  glancing  frequently  behind  him, 
as  long  as  he  appeared  in  sight,  no  doubt  being  considera- 


ISO  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

bly  exercised  in  mind  as  to  whether  or  no,  he  was  likely  to 
be  followed  by  one  or  the  other  of  the  "craythurs,"  who 
did  not  possess  any  of  the  fierceness  their  appearance 
would  seem  to  indicate. 

Among  our  visitors  were  Special  Agents  and  Govern- 
ment Inspectors.  Memory  brings  one  very  clearly  to  the 
mind.  He  was  a  big  man,  in  fact  very  big,  both  in  stat- 
ure and  in  the  estimation  in  which  he  held  himself.  "  He 
came,  he  saw,  he  conquered."  Naturally  he  excited  both 
wonder  and  awe.  When  only  present  a  short  time  he  had 
knocked  off  the  hat  of  one  Indian,  straightened  up  anoth- 
er very  emphatically  who  sat  in  a  leaning  posture,  and 
made  himself  disagreeable  generally.  Talking  afterward 
to  the  Indians  of  the  importance  of  sending  the  children 
to  school,  one  of  them  replied  he  did  not  want  his  boy  to 
learn  anything,  if  such  a  manifestation  was  the  result  of 
learning,  for  an  Indian  knew  better  than  to  knock  a  man's 
hat  off,  because  he  followed  an  old  custom  of  his  people 
and  wore  it  at  all  times.  So  example  is  evidently  far  be- 
fore precept. 

One  Government  Inspector  was  a  genial,  kindly  gentle- 
•  man,  and  while  dining  with  us,  told  stories  of  his  early 
days,  when  he  attended  College,  the  two  last  Presidents, 
Arthur  and  Cleveland,  being  at  different  times  his  class- 
mates, and  ever  since  he  was  a  personal  friend  of  both; 
but,  alas,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  though  he  did  not 
expect  to  come  under  the  head  of  an  "offensive  partisan," 
who  can  tell  what  futurity  may  have  had  in  store?  for  a  kindly 
Providence  interfered,  and  took  him  to  that  country  where 
men  are  not  turned  out  of  office,  and  politics  are  unknown. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  l8l 

To  an  observing  eye  the  different  phases  of  character 
that  appeared  in  the  visitors  was  amusing.  The  honest 
granger  and  family  from  "away  back,"  who  took  a  little 
trip  after  "corn  husking  to  see  the  Injuns  he'd  often 
heard  tell  on,"  and  brought  his  folks  along  to  enjoy  the 
sight,  were  visitors  of  a  different  stamp.  Homely  but 
honest,  with  a  hearty  friendliness  for  all,  and  a  curiosity 
that  had  not  been  dulled  by  "  sight  seeing,"  they  brought 
with  them  an  air  of  simple  truth  and  sincerity  not  always 
possessed  by  those  who  are  robed  in  broad  cloth. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  Visit — Wau-com-mo — Met-wee — Sick  Unto  Death — The  Medi- 
cine Man— "Not  My  Case"— A  Missionary— " Good  Bye"- 
Mourn  Not  for  the  Dead — The  Ceremony  of  "  Throwing  Away 
the  Dead" — Presents — Adopted  in  Place  of  the  Dead — Ho, 
Ho — La  Crosse. 

Over  the  narrow  road  that  led  to  the  Indian  village 
across  the  Iowa  river,  we  wended  our  way  one  morning 
in  summer.  The  woods  were  fragrant  with  the  breath  of 
flowers,  and  the  hanging  branches  of  the  trees  heavy  with 
their  weight  of  foliage,  threatened  to  take  the  top  oft"  the 
buggy.  By  a  circuitous  route  the  trail  was  followed  until 
the  green  banks  of  the  river  appeared  in  view.  Here  the 
stream  was  forded,  but  as  the  water  was  higher  than  usual 
at  that  season,  in  the  deeper  places  it  washed  into  the 
buggy,  as  if  to  warn  the  occupants  they  might  prepare 
for  a  cold  bath  at  least.  In  spite  of  this  demonstration  the 
opposite  shore  was  reached  in  safetv,  and  the  Indian  village 
appeared  in  sight. 

Alighting  at  the  door  of  a  rude  lodge,  small  in  size, 
and  presenting  a  general  air  of  dilapidation,  we  crossed 
the  threshhold  and  stood  within  the  home  of  Wau-com- 
mo,  head  Chief  of  the  Musquakies.  It  is  impossible  to 
give  an  adequate  description  of  the  desolation  and  discom- 
fort presented  to  the  eve,  and  this  was  made  more  con- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  183 

spicuous  by  the  sickness  of  the  inmates,  and  the  probable 
nearness  of  approaching  death. 

Upon  the  earthen  floor,  wrapped  in  his  blanket,  lay  the 
old  Chief,  whose  Chieftainship  seemed  almost  ended.  His 
head  rested  on  an  old  pillow,  his  bleared  and  almost  sight- 
less eyes  gazing  vacantly  through  space,  and  the  bright 
hue  of  fever  upon  his  cheeks. 

Outside  the  lodge  the  wind  chanted  a  melancholy 
dirge,  and  within  it,  no  ray  of  sunlight  found  a  place  to 
enter. 

In  the  same  building  another  Indian,  whose  name  was 
Met-we,  was  sick  unto  death.  Like  the  Chief,  he  had 
been  ill  for  several  months,  and  who  would  first  be  releas- 
ed from  suffering,  seemed  hard  to  determine. 

Seated  beside  Wau-com-mo,  with  his  fingers  placed 
upon  the  wrist  of  the  sick  man,  was  "  Mis-sis-ke-in-nin-e," 
or  the  Medicine  man.  Upon  his  face  was  the  same  look 
of  professional  dignity  that  may  always  be  seen  on  those 
of  his  civilized  brethren  on  like  occasions;  as  if  they  would 
say  to  the  observer,  "  Mortal,  beware  how  you  rashly  ap- 
proach the  portals  of  science.  The  doors  are  closed  to  all 
but  the  initiated,  and  woe  to  those  who  dare  encroach  upon 
this  "holy  ground,"  where  only  our  footsteps  are  fit  to 
stray;"  but  how  this  untutored  child  of  the  forest  learned 
to  ape  his  superiors,  is  a  question  that  must  remain  unan- 
swered. 

On  another  part  of  the  earthen  floor,  on  the  bare  cold 
ground,  lay  our  old  friend,  Met-we.  His  head  was  in  close 
proximity  to  the  remains  of  a  fire  in  the  center  of  the 
lodge,  that  had  probably  been  used  for  cooking  purposes, 


184  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

and  from  which  the  wind  blew  gusts  of  ashes  in  his  face 
and  hair.  Still,  and  making  no  moan,  although  his  face 
gave  evidence  of  much  suffering,  bearing  all  the  discom- 
fort of  his  lot,  and  pain  consequent  of  a  severe  disease, 
even  the  weakness  of  approaching  dissolution,  with  the 
stoical  calm,  and  apparent  indifference  of  his  race. 

A  rope,  forming  a  loop,  hung  from  the  roof,  and  in  this 
he  rested  his  arm,  or  hands. 

On  a  platform  near  by,  sat  his  daughter,  a  girl  of  some 
sixteen  years,  busily  engaged  in  bead  work,  seemingly  in 
no  wise  affected  by  the  knowledge  that  she  must  soon  be 
fatherless. 

Met-we  smiled  in  our  face  as  we  approached,  and 
clasped  us  by  the  hand,  and  startled  by  its  coldness  and 
the  look  upon  his  face,  that  gave  evidence  (even  to  unpro- 
fessional eyes,)  of  a  speedy  departure  to  the  realms  of 
peace,  we  hurriedly  appealed  to  the  "  Doctor,"  who  though 
well  acquainted  with  us,  had  given  but  scanty  greeting  on 
our  entrance. 

"Come  here,  please,  and  look  at  this  man;  feel  his 
pulse,  his  hand  and  arm  are  quite  cold." 

Gravely,  but  emphatically,  he  answered: 

"No,  sir,  me  no  come,  'tend  Chief  make  him  no  die." 

"  Well,  you  can  leave  the  Chief  for  a  minute,  I  am 
sure,  but  then  I  suppose  this  is  not  your  case?" 

"Yes,"  he  solemnly  replied,  as  if  in  rebuke  of  our  flip- 
pant sarcasm,  "not  my  case,"  and  pointing  to  the  sick  man, 
"  he  die  pretty  soon,"  and — was  it  possible,  that  a  look  of 
satisfaction  came  over  his  face  at  this  probable  result? 

The    hot    flush   of     indignation    burned    our     brow. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  185 

Who  could   resist  a  parting  shot,  for  revenge  is  sweet?. 

"  The  Chief  is  very  sick,  he  will  die  too,  pretty  soon," 
we  exclaimed,  but  this  gratuitous  information  was  treated 
with  silent  contempt  by  the  "Doctor,"  who  did  not  conde- 
scend to  reply. 

We  waited  a  few  moments,  for  a  missionary  was  pre- 
sent; and  what  higher  mission  could  be  found  than  to  min- 
ister to  the  wants  of  the  sick  and  dying,  or  speak  a  word 
of  inquiry,  or  comfort,  to  the  soul,  about  to  pass  through 
the  "dark  valley."  We  waited — but  in  vain — for  the  word 
was  not  spoken,  and  the  mission  was  left  unfulfilled;  but  as 
we  knelt  upon  the  floor  and  rubbed  the  hand  and  arm  of 
the  poor  old  man,  which  was  already  palsied  by  the  touch 
of  death;  or  put  the  cooling  orange  to  his  fevered  lips,  the 
eyes  of  the  physician  followed  each  movement  with  a  re- 
proachful glare,  as  if  he  would  say,  "White  woman,  it  is 
my  bounden  duty  to  uphold  the  dignity  of  a  noble  calling, 
but  you  may  do  as  you  like.  It  is  of  but  little  conse- 
quence. You  may  even  speed  the  departure  of  the  sub- 
ject in  question,  by  feeding  him  oranges,  and  such  perni- 
cious things,  if  to  you  it  seemeth  best.  I  wash  my  hands 
of  the  whole  matter.  I'll  not  interfere  though  the  heav- 
ens fall,  or  humanity  suffers.  It  is  not  my  case." 

After  a  stay  of  some  time  we  bid  adieu  to  our  old  friend, 
who  whispered  with  tremulous  breath:  "Good  bye,  come 
again."  Yet,  well  we  knew  we  should  look  upon  his  face 
no  more.  That  evening  the  old  man  died,  and  in  the  early 
morning  was  buried  upon  the  hill  side,  with  the  usual  cer- 
emonies. Often  have  we  seen  him  at  the  grave,  address- 
ing the  departed  spirit,  or  offering  a  prayer  for  its  welfare; 


l86  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

now  the  same  is  done  for  him  by  others.  After  all  had 
departed  from  the  burial  ground,  his  daughter  made  her 
appearance  to  mourn  for  her  father.  For  four  successive 
days  she  knelt  beside  the  grave,  the  sun  beating  down 
upon  her  bowed  head,  while  she  uttered  the  wailing  cry, 
peculiar  to  her  race  when  mourning  for  the  dead.  At 
night  she  retired  to  the  lodge,  going  back  again  in  the 
morning.  During  all  this  time  no  food  passed  her  lips, 
and  when  nature  was  exhausted,  the  period  of  mourning 
at  the  grave  was  accomplished. 

What  avails  it  to  mourn  for  the  dead?  Rather  let  us 
show  kindly  acts  to  the  living.  Instead  of  writing  a  glow- 
ing epitaph  upon  the  tombstone  of  mortality,  and  extolling 
the  virtues  that  once  existed,  how  much  better  to  speak  a 
word  of  cheer  or  sympathy  to  the  erring,  or  lend  a  help- 
ing hand  where  help  is  needed. 

Better  to  strew  flowers  upon  the  pathway  of  the  living, 
while  still  they  breathe  the  breath  of  life,  than  wait  until 
they  lie  in  rigid  stillness,  deaf  to  the  voice  of  sympathy  or 
love. 

'Tis  strange  that  many  a  persons  good  qualities  are 
never  discovered  until  after  they  die,  and  when  with  tear- 
ful eyes  they  are  enumerated  by  friends,  if  the  departed 
could  only  listen,  he  must  believe  it  was  a  case  of  mista- 
ken identity.  So  the  most  of  us  would  be  astonished  if 
we  knew  the  opinion  of  even  our  dearest  friends  concern- 
ing us,  and  our  ignorance  in  this  respect,  is  often  a  bless- 
ing in  disguise. 

Let  us  not  seek  to  understand  the  human  heart,  with  all 
its  mysteries  and  contradictions.  Seek  not  to  divine  mo- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  187 

tives  of  which  the  possessor  is  often  unconscious.  The 
best  people  are  the  most  charitable,  and  those  who  know 
humanity  well,  and  have  seen  life  in  all  its  varied 
phases,  are  the  ones  who  judge  (if  they  judge  at  all)  the 
more  leniently.  The  people  that  always  see  evil  in  others, 
prove  themselves  to  possess  qualities  far  from  being  desir- 
able. We  are  incapable  of  appreciating  perfection,  ow- 
ing to  the  defects  in  our  own  nature,  and  as  it  is  a  plant  of 
rare  growth,  and  can  flourish  only  on  celestial  soil,  we  are 
not  called  upon  to  set  up  a  God  made  of  human  clay,  and 
fall  down  and  worship  its  excellencies.  We  like  better 
that  which  is  on  a  level  with  ourselves,  than  that  (however 
worthy  of  admiration  it  be)  which  soars  high  above  us. 

Many  of  the  old  squaws  are  quite  skillful  in  the  use  of 
roots,  herbs,  or  the  bark  of  trees,  as  a  medicine.  Small 
bundles,  tied  up  in  greasy  rags,  are  carefully  laid  by  in  the 
lodge,  all  ready  for  future  use.  The  medicine  men  also 
use  onlv  these  kind  of  medicines.  The  general  belief, 
however,  is  that  if  a  person  is  afflicted  by  disease  it  is  owing 
to  the  evil  spirit  having  power  over  him,  and  wild  thoughts 
and  strange  imaginations  course  through  their  minds  on 
this  subject. 

But  now  the  winds  of  winter  have  chanted  a  requiem 
over  new  made  graves,  and  a  white  flag  floating  over  one, 
tells  the  story  that  the  old  Chief,  Wau-com-mo,  has  also 
crossed  over  the  rushing  river  to  the  happy  hunting 
grounds,  or  Indian  heaven,  where  only  the  faithful  dwell; 
and  reunited  with  his  friends  of  old  he  shall  smoke  the 
pipe  of  eternal  peace,  or  hunt  the  deer  and-]  buffalo  upon 
the  trackless  plains.  (The  white  flag  above  a  grave  de- 


1 88  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

notes  Chieftainship,  and  when  destroyed  by  the  wind  is 
always  replaced  by  another). 

Some  time  after  a  death  has  occurred,  the  ceremony  of 
"throwing  away  the  dead"  is  held  at  the  camp.  The 
Chief  having  given  notice  when  the  preparations  were 
completed,  we  departed  for  the  scene  of  action.  Large 
numbers  of  Indians  and  squaws  were  around  the  lodge, 
in  and  near  which  the  event  of  the  day  was  to  take  place. 
A  man  and  a  child  were  to  be  adopted  in  place  of  two  of 
the  tribe,  recently  deceased,  and  they  were  dressed  in  new 
clothing  from  head  to  foot.  After  this,  the  old  Chief, 
Mntf-tau-qua,  knelt  in  the  lodge  and  offered  a  prayer,  at 
the  same  time  throwing  tobacco  in  the  fire,  which  made  a 
smoke  as  of  incense,  and  was  done  to  appease  the  bad 
spirit  should  he  feel  inclined  to  put  in  a  protest  against  the 
proceedings.  Some  poles  were  then  placed  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  house,  on  which  were  hung  large  quanti- 
ties of  bright  colored  calico,  ribbons,  etc.,  tin  pails,  packa- 
ges of  sugar,  and  other  articles,  that  were  presented  by 
the  relatives  of  the  dead  persons  to  those  adopted  in  their 
place.  Two  ponies,  tied  up  near,  were  given  also  by  the 
same  persons.  They  had  been  fitted  out  with  new  sad- 
dles, and  saddle  cloths,  the  bridles  inlaid  with  silver,  and 
were  patiently  waiting  for  their  new  masters;  while  some 
hand  possessing  more  liberality  than  artistic  skill,  had  lav- 
ishly painted  grotesque  figures  upon  their  sides  of  a  bright 
green  color. 

The  Indian,  and  child,  (accompanied  by  his  mother,) 
marched  out  of  the  lodge  and  stood  at  a  given  place,  first 
walking  around  in  a  circle  three  limes.  They  then  stood 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  1 89 

for  some  time  perfectly  motionless.  The  little  boy,  who 
was  a  son  of  the  Interpreter,  was  gaily  dressed,  while  rib- 
bons of  a  bright  colored  hue  floated  around  him,  and  many 
strings  of  beads  hung  upon  his  neck,  while  his  silver  or- 
naments glittered  in  the  sunlight.  After  this  part  of  the 
ceremony  ended,  food  was  prepared  and  all  invited  guests 
partook  of  the  same. 

We  witnessed  another  ceremony  of  this  kind  conduct- 
ed rather  differently,  though  the  preliminaries  were  about 
the  same.  Two  persons  were  then  adopted  also,  and  as 
they  stood  in  full  view  of  the  assembly,  the  old  warriors, 
each  in  his  turn,  took  the  war  club  in  his  hand,  and  related 
stories  of  his  heroic  deeds,  continuing  talking  until  he  had 
slowly  walked  around  the  circle,  (in  the  center  of  which 
are  the  presents)  three  times.  He  then  handed  the  war 
club  to  another  Indian,  and  the  same  was  again  repeated. 
Often  the  audience  would  exclaim,  ho,  ho,  in  appreciation 
of  the  words  of  the  speaker,  which  is  their  way  of  applaud- 
ing. Before  the  speaking  occurred,  however,  a  small  bot- 
tle was  brought  forth,  and  a  portion  of  its  contents  dealt 
out  in  a  glass,  and  given  to  each  of  the  Indians  who  was 
to  take  a  prominent  part  in  the  proceedings.  We  do  not 
know  what  the  bottle  contained.  It  may  have  been  fire- 
water, or  only  some  harmless  nostrum. 

One  of  these  ceremonies  is  looked  upon  as  a  great  af- 
fair by  the  Indians,  and  the  day  on  which  it  occurs  is  set 
apart  as  a  gala  day.  A  game  of  ball,  or  La  Crosse,  gen- 
erally concludes  the  entertainment,  which  is  entered  into 
with  zest  by  young  and  old,  sometimes  the  old  man  prov- 
ing himself  more  active  and  skillful  than  the  young  one, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

the  sides  generally  being  taken  on  all  occasions,  the  older 
men  against  the  younger.  So  life  in  the  Indian  camp  has 
its  own  pleasures,  and  if  their  possessions  are  small,  their 
wants  or  desires  are  also  few,  and  contentment  makes  a 
little  appear  much. 

The  sunlight  smiles,  and  the  fresh  breezes  are  wafted 
hither  and  thither,  and  the  Indian  knows  no  more.  He 
enjoys  the  present,  and  borrows  no  care  for  the  future,  but 
drifts  along  as  the  creature  of  circumstances  only. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Joseph  Tesson— His  House— Displeasure  of  the  Indians— Born  in 
^Nebraska  —  Joined  the  Cavalry  — The  Lieutenant  Taking 
Scalps— The  Fight— The  Captain— Going  Home— Pension— A 
Scout — The  Broad  Missouri. 

Joseph  Tesson,  present  Interpreter  of  the  Sac  and  Fox 
tribe  in  Iowa,  is  a  descendent  of  Louis  Honore  Tesson,  a 
French  Canadian  trader,  and  about  the  first  who  settled  in 
the  vicinity  of  Dubuque,  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with 
the  Indians.  The  following  is  a  condensed  history  of  one 
of  the  ancestral  founders  of  the  house  of  Tesson: 

"  Toward  the  close  of  the  last  century,  Louis  Tesson, 
alias  Honore,  came  down  from  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  the 
head  of  the  lower  Rapids,  to  dwell  among  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  by  their  invitation,  and  there  established  a  trading 
post.  He  lived  there  with  his  family  for  several  years,  but 
falling  in  debt  his  property  was  sold,  when  he  removed 
elsewhere." 

Joe,  as  he  is  usually  called,  is  a  man  about  forty  years 
of  age,  pleasant  in  his  manner  and  address,  and  always 
ready  with  a  kind  word  and  smile.  As  will  be  seen  he  is 
of  French  and  Indian  blood,  and  has  only  a  little  darker 
complexion  than  a  white  person. 

Being  well  acquainted  with  Joe  and  his  wife,  we  made 
a  special  visit  to  his  home,  for  the  purpose  of  learning 


Ip2  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

some  of  the  incidents  connected  with  his  life,  and  inter- 
viewing him  generally.  We  received  a  cordial  welcome 
from  both,  the  latter  politely  placing  a  chair  for  the  visitor. 
The  house  was  frame,  containing  several  rooms,  and  stood 
at  one  end  of  forty  acres  of  land  personally  owned  by  Joe, 
and  not  a  part  of  the  land  owned  as  a  whole  by  the  tribe. 
The  room  in  which  we  sat  was  carpeted,  and  upon  the 
wall  hung  several  pictures.  One,  heavily  framed,  of 
George  Washington,  was  conspicuous.  Mrs.  Garfield, 
and  several  smaller  pictures  were  also  seen,  and  there  upon 
the  wall,  "  where  the  bright  sun  used  to  shine,"  hung  Joe's 
sword  in  its  leather  scabbard,  evidently  given,  as  it  should 
be,  the  place  of  honor. 

In  1884,  solely  by  the  influence  and  persuasion  of  the 
Agent,  Col.  Davenport,  Joe  was  induced  to  build  his 
house,  having  formerly  lived  in  a  lodge,  or  wick-i-up,  as 
did  the  other  Indians.  The  innovation  of  a  frame  house 
containing  separate  rooms,  just  like  a  white  man's  house, 
was  looked  upon  with  disfavor  by  the  Chiefs  and  Coun- 
cilors, therefore,  also  by  the  most  of  the  tribe,  the  Chiefs 
finally  declaring  he  was  under  authority  of  tribal  law,  and 
had  no  right  to  build  his  house  in  the  manner  described 
without  first  asking  permission.  The  threatened  storm  was, 
however,  (also  by  the  influence  of  the  Agent)  averted,  and 
there  remained  only  a  passive  objection  to  the  new  house, 
which  eventually  disappeared  altogether.  The  most  of 
the  work  in  building  the  house  was  done  by  Joe  himself, 
though  he  received  some  assistance  from  the  Agency 
farmer. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  remark  here  that  no  more 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  1 93 

potent  effort  toward  the  progress  of  civilization  could  be 
made  by  the  Indian  Department,  than  in  building  suitable 
houses  for  these  Indians  to  live  in.  Many  would  be  glad 
to  occupy  them,  and  the  objection  raised  by  others,  should 
there  be  any,  would  be  speedily  overcome.  A  house  to 
live  in,  no  matter  how  humble,  if  suited  to  his  wants,  and 
the  red  man  would  eventually  change  his  roving  habits, 
and  remain  in  his  own  home  during  the  winter  months, 
now,  with  but  few  exceptions,  always  spent  away  from 
home.  Instead  of  roaming  about,  he  would  gradually  ac- 
cumulate property  of  various  kinds.  The  wretched  tents 
occupied  by  the  Indians  in  winter,  are  not  fit  for  human 
beings  to  live  in;  from  eight  to  ten  persons  often  in  one, 
cleanliness  is  impossible;  any  means  of  advancement 
equally  so;  even  the  common  decencies  of  life  are  not, and 
cannot,  under  such  conditions,  be  observed.  No  better  or 
more  lasting  benefit  could  be  secured  than  to  set  apart  a 
portion  of  the  Indian's  money,  and  build  them  suitable 
houses  in  which  to  live.  Personally,  they  have  not  the 
means  to  do  this,  even  were  the}1  desirous  of  doing  so,  but 
to  return  to  Joe  and  his  history. 

"  I  always  say,"  said  Joe,  "  that  I  was  born  in  Nebras- 
ka, but  then  I  am  not  sure  how  that  is.  I  may  have  been 
born  som where  else,  for  I  never  made  any  inquiries  about 
it,  but  that  I  was  born  is  a  certain  fact,  any  how.  My 
father  was  a  white  man,  and  my  mother  of  Indian  blood, 
of  the  Pottawattamie  tribe.  My  father  was  a  scout  in  the 
far  west,  and  often  followed  the  trail  of  our  dread  enemy, 
the  Sioux.  I  enlisted  at  Falls  City,  Neb.,  for  nine  months 
service  in  Company  L,  a  cavalry  troop,  and  we  were  de- 


194  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

tailed  for  duty  in  the  vicinity  of  Devils  Lake,  called  by  the 
Sioux  "  Mini-wakan,"  part  of  the  time  also  being  near,  or 
at  Fort  Laramie.  All  of  my  companions  were  white  men 
with  the  exception  of  two  Otoes,  who  were  also  of  French 
extraction.  Wide  spread  terror  was  felt  all  over  the  west- 
ern country  at  that  time,  owing  to  the  depredations  of  the 
Sioux,  and  the  soldiers  had  been  sent  after  them  for  the 
protection  of  the  white  settlers.  The  Otoes  who  were 
with  us  became  frightened  and  deserted  at  Omaha  before 
we  ever  saw  a  Sioux. 

"We  were  in  encampment  all  the  time,  and  had  a  good 
many  hardships  to  endure.  Once  we  were  without  food 
for  three  days;  we  had  no  corn,  or  flour,  or  coffee,  the 
supplies  not  reaching  us  in  time.  We  captured  two  wag- 
on loads  of  dried  buffalo  meat  from  a  band  of  Sioux,  and 
we  sat  down  beside  it  and  eat  it  all  up,  and  only  that  saved 
us  from  starvation.  The  Captain  of  our  company  was 
away  the  most  of  the  time,  but  the  First  Lieutenant  took 
command.  He  was  a  nice  man.  He  was  good  to  me. 
We  had  a  good  time  together,  for  when  we  were  fighting 
he  took  scalps  as  well  as  myself.  Oh  ves;  he  was  a  good 
man." 

Joe  paused,  probably  while  he  took  a  retrospective 
view  of  the  past.  He  was  seated  on  a  chair  near  his  wife, 
who  was  engaged  in  making  some  handsome  bead  work, 
and  the  children  were  playing  around.  Peace  and  har- 
mony seemed  to  prevail,  and  the  whole  scene  must  have 
presented  an  altogether  different  picture  from  the  scenes 
of  bloodshed  through  which  he  had  passed  in  other  days. 
Gazing  out  of  the  window,  all  nature  was  pleasant  to  the 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  1 95 

eye — the  hill  in  the  distance  thickly  covered  with  waving 
trees,  whose  dark  green  foliage  was  brought  out  vividly 
by  a  background  of  sunlit  sky.  All  around  were  the  fields, 
worked  by  his  own  industrious  hand,  and  the  odor  of  the 
sweet  smelling  clover  was  wafted  through  the  open  win- 
dows. Nothing  was  there  that  spoke  of  war,  excepting 
only  the  sword  upon  the  wall. 

"And  how  many  scalps  have  you  taken,  Joe?" 
"Three,"  he  replied.  "We  had  a  big  fight  with  the 
Sioux.  They  were  in  large  numbers,  and  very  daring. 
One  of  our  guides  was  a  friend  to  the  Sioux,  and  he  went 
to  their  camp  and  told  them  the  soldiers  were  marching 
against  them,  but  they  laughed  loud  and  made  fun  of  it. 
The  warriors  cried  "let  them  come,  the  footsteps  of  the 
Sioux  go  not  backwards.  Let  them  come,  and  the  scalps 
of  the  Wah-sica  (white  men)  shall  hang  at  our  belts;"  and 
loud  was  the  laugh  of  derision  and  defiance  that  rang 
through  the  camp,  and  died  away  in  distant  echoes 
through  the  forest.  Then  they  made  a  feast  and  prepared 
for  war,  and  the  medicine  man  (pe-juta,  wi-chas-ta)  prayed 
the  Great  Spirit  to  give  them  success,  and  he  said  they 
would  win  the  battle,  and  kill  many  white  soldiers. 

"  We  went  against  them,  three  companies  in  all  (caval- 
ry troops).  We  had  a  big  fight;  it  lasted  a  long  time. 
We  lost  many  of  our  men,  but  the  Sioux  lost  more,  and 
we  took  two  hundred  prisoners,  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren. The  Sioux  braves  were  well  armed,  they  had 
better  rifles  than  us,  and  plenty  of  ammunition.  They 
also  used  poisoned  arrows.  At  one  time  my  father  was  a 
trader  with  the  Sioux. 


196  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

"  After  my  time  was  out  I  received  my  discharge  at 
Omaha.  I  met  the  Captain  there." 

-'Where  are  you  going,  Joe?"  he  said. 

"I  am  going  home,  sir."  "And  there  were  three  or 
four  more  soldiers  with  me." 

"Oh,  you  had  better  wait,"  he  said,  "  and  we  will  all 
return  together." 

"I  had  my  discharge  (and  I  have  it  yet,)  and  I  wanted 
to  get  back  home,  so  I  would  not  wait.  I  knew  what  he 
was  after.  He  let  us  do  all  the  fighting,  but  he  wanted  to 
have  all  the  credit.  He  was  away  the  most  of  the  time, 
but  when  we  got  out  of  danger  he  was  right  there,  and  if 
there  was  any  glory,  he  thought  the  Captain  ought  to 
have  it  and  not  the  soldiers." 

This  remark  shows  that  Joe  has  made  a  special  study 
of  human  nature,  and  that  he  looks  in  the  right  light  at  so 
called  military  glory,  and  does  not  believe  in  decking  the 
brow  of  the  officer  with  a  wreath  of  laurel,  while  the  poor 
soldier  who  has  borne  "the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day," 
sinks  into  unmerited  obscurity.  (Let  us  fondly  hope,  Joe, 
for  your  sake,  and  mine,  lest  by  some  strange  freak  of  for- 
tune, your  story  should  fall  into  his  hands;  let  us  devoutly 
hope  that  the  military  hero  before  mentioned,  has  long  'ere 
this  been  "  gathered  home  to  his  fathers,"  with  or  without 
all  the  honors  of  war). 

It  is  asserted  that  at  the  time  of  the  war,  the  Indians  in 
the  west  were  well  supplied  with  arms  and  ammunition 
by  the  south,  and  that  a  general  uprising  among  all  the 
tribes  of  the  west  was  anticipated,  who  would  sweep  down 
upon  the  western  states,  and  while  they  were  without  pro- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES. 

tection  a  general  massacre  would  ensue.  "Whether  this 
story  originated  in  the  brain  of  some  plotter  against  the 
public  peace,  or  whether  it  was  worthy  of  credence,  it  is 
for  you  to  determine;  certain  it  is  that  the  hostile  tribes  of 
the  west  were  well  supplied  with  that  which  would  ena- 
ble them  to  make  a  deadly  raid  upon  their  white  neigh- 
bors, and  that  this  was  not  effected  may  have  been  alto- 
gether owing  to  the  lack  of  sufficient  influence,  or  bribery, 
to  cause  the  Indians  to  consent  to  peril  their  lives  for  this 
object.  The  Government  at  this  time  took  special  pains 
in  ascertaining  the  exact  amount  of  strength  of  the  Indians, 
as  far  as  it  lay  in  the  number  of  their  fire  arms,  and  the 
amount  of  ammunition  in  their  possession. 

Joe  continued  to  tell  several  incidents  of  his  soldier  life, 
of  a  series  of  narrow  escapes  from  the  bullet  or  toma- 
hawk; and  what  old  soldier  does  not  love  to  recall  the 
scenes  of  other  days,  and  dwell  on  camp  life,  or  the  excite- 
ment of  approaching  battle.  During  his  service  as  a  sol- 
dier Joe  contracted  lung  disease,  which  at  times  causes 
him  long  fits  of  sickness,  and  incapacitates  him  from  work. 
He  has  never  been  well  since  his  experience  in  the  west, 
and  in  these  days  when  "  pension  "  is  asked  and  received 
by  so  many,  Joe  might  also  be  remembered  by  "a  grate- 
ful country."  Another  old  soldier  in.  the  Musquakie  camp 
is  Peter  Soldier,  who  served  through  the  late  war.  He  is 
therefore  entitled  to  consideration  in  the  same  way. 

Joe  is  a  hard  working  and  industrious  man,  and  his 
wife  is  a  helpmeet  in  this  respect.  He  has  a  barn  and 
stable  on  his  land,  and  has  made  many  improvements 
since  settling  on  the  place,  and  will  continue  to  do  so  as 


IpS  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

opportunity  is  given.  His  salary  for  acting  as  Interpreter 
to  the  tribe  is  twenty-five  dollars  per  quarter.  He  attends 
the  Indian  te-can-na,  or  worship,  and  though  never  taking 
part  in  the  dance,  has  the  selfsame  belief  as  the  other  In- 
dians. Has  been  married  twice,  both  of  his  wives  being 
Fox  women.  He  and  his  family  stay  at  home,  and  do  not 
roam  about  in  the  fall  and  winter  on  hunting  and  trapping 
expeditions.  His  oldest  boy,  Na-na-quot-to,  is  bright  and 
intelligent,  and  can  read  and  write  in  English,  as  well 
as  in  Indian.  He  is  also  quick  at  figures. 

Joe  has  a  brother  who  was  also  a  soldier.  His  father 
is  living  in  Kansas  at  the  present  time,  and  is  a  successful 
farmer.  Undoubtedly  he  could  give  some  interesting  in- 
cidents with  reference  to  his  experience  as  a  scout  in  the 
far  west,  often  following  the  trail  through  localities  where 
the  echo  of  a  white  man's  footsteps  was  never  heard;  or 
agriin  hovering  around  the  camp  of  a  deadly  foe,  seeking 
information  as  to  their  numbers,  or  probable  line  of 
march,  with  undaunted  bravery;  although  one  false  step, 
or  a  noise  louder  than  the  rustling  of  the  leaves  would  be- 
tray him  to  the  keen  ears  of  his  enemies  and  cause  instant 
death. 

And  treacherous  as  the  savage,  the  broad  Missouri 

O       ' 

courses  onward.  Her  currents  ever  changing  like  the 
scenes  of  life.  Her  very  waves  hiding  from  the  beholder 
their  slimy  depths;  and  those  who  have  seen  them  rushing 
on  in  mad  fury,  or  slowly,  but  surely,  creeping  onward, 
flooding  valley  and^  homestead,  'till  life  and  property  is 
swallowed  up,  can  almost  believe  the  mythical  stories  of 
the  river  gods,  and  their  power  over  the  human  race;  or, 


TWO  SUMMF.RS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES.  199 

t 

in  fancy  see  the  fair  haired  mermaids  combing  their  hair 
the  deep  recesses  of  the  ocean,  luring  with  siren  song 
the  unfortunate  sailor  to  destruction. 

So  on  thy  broad  waters,  oh,  Missouri,  the  bark  canoe 
of  the  Indian  has  often  been  seen,  while  thy  shores  have 
reechoed  to  his  war  song.  So  the  wild  birds  fly  above  thy 
waters  at  the  evenings  close,  seeking  a  place  of  safetv  on 
thy  wooded  banks  to  rest  their  tired  wing  until  the  dawn- 
ing. 

So  the  wild  wind  gathers  together  vast  clouds  of  sand, 
and  rolling  over  and  over,  like  a  thing  of  life,  thev  envelop 
the  unwary  traveler,  like  the  dread  simoon  of  the  desert, 
and  chant  a  wild  requiem  over  the  forms  that  once  lay 
chill  and  rigid  in  thy  remorseless  depths. 

Whether,  or  not,  these  thoughts  came  to  Joe  during 
his  stay  in  the  wild  country  of  the  far  west,  he  did  not  tell 
us.  While  it  was  pleasant  to  commune  with  nature,  he 
probably  considered  it  monotonous,  as  the  conversation 
was  of  necessity  one  sided,  and  Joe  is  social  and  loves  to 
talk  of  the  past,  the  present,  or  the  future.  Looking  at 
his  peaceful  home,  where  happiness  seemed  to  reign,  what 
more  is  needed?  Ambition,  wealth,  fame,  and  the  honors 
of  life  could  give  him  no  more. 

Blessed  is  he  that  expecteth  little,  for  he  shall  not  be 
disappointed. 

So  we  bid  adieu  to  Joe  and  his  family,  wishing  that  more 
of  the  tribe  possessed  the  same  industrious  habits,  and 
power  of  progression  as  himself,  and  receiving  a  cordial 
invitation  to  visit  his  home  at  some  future  time.  The  in- 
vitation may  be  complied  with,  and  perhaps  not,  who  can 


v 


2OO  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

tell?  Our  footsteps  tread  familiar  paths  day  by  day,  then 
a  few  days  go  by,  hundreds  of  miles  intervene,  and  stran- 
ger faces  take  the  place  of  those  we  are  accustomed  to 
see;  or  time  for  us  may  cease,  and  the  place  that  knew  us 
once  know  us  no  more  forever. 

Back  we  go  in  the  early  twilight,  through  the  sweet 
smelling  fields  and  woods.  The  melodious  songs  of  the 
birds,  chanting  their  vesper  hymn,  are  wafted  to  the  ear, 
and  the  shadows  of  evening  are  falling  around. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Colonel  Davenport— Adopted  into  the  Tribe— Whisky— Effect  on 
the  Indian — Hon.  O.  II.  Mills  as  Agent— The  School  House 
Painted  Bed— Appointment  of  W.  H.  Black  as  Agent — In- 
crease of  Drunkenness— No  Employe's — Hon.  B.  T.  Frederick 
—Compulsory  Education— The  Indian  Department  Should 
Exert  its  Authority. 

Our  first  introduction  to  the  Musquakies  occurred 
when  they  were  in  charge  of  Col.  George  L.  Davenport, 
of  Davenport,  Iowa,  as  Indian  Agent.  Mr.  Davenport 
had  been  a  life  long  friend  to  these  people,  and  in  his  early 
youth  was  adopted  into  the  tribe.  This  is  a  rare  occur- 
rence for  a  white  man,  and  was  considered  a  great  mark 
of  favor,  and  gave  evidence  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  the  Indians.  He  understood  their  language  well, 
and  could  converse  fluently  with  them,  and  it  is  owing 
largely  to  his  efforts  that  a  school  was  organized  and  farm- 
ing carried  on. 

After  being  Indian  Agent  for  only  a  short  time,  Mr. 
Davenport  succeeded  in  enrolling  their  names  on  the  cen- 
sus roll,  a  difficult  and  dangerous  undertaking,  which  they 
strenuously  opposed  for  sonae  time,  and  which  so  excited 
their  resentment  that  threats  were  made  to  the  Agent  of 
intended  violence.  It  is  probable  that  no  other  person 
could  have  secured  this  result  without  trouble,  or  even 


2O2  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

bloodshed,  so  deep  in  the  mind  of  the  Indian  is  the  natural 
distaste  to  have  his  name  written  upon  paper.  This  is 
caused  partly  by  fear  that  the  white  man  will  thus  obtain 
some  power  over  him,  and  partly  by  superstition.  For 
some  years  several  of  the  Indians  refused  to  receive  their 
annuity  money,  solely  on  this  account,  until  the  last  pay- 
ment made  by  the  Agent  before  his  death  every  Indian  in 
the  tribe  took  his  money,  (with  the  back  pay  that  had  been 
due  them  for  years,)  and  had  there  been  no  change  it  is 
probable  the  same  would  have  been  continued. 

The  efforts  of  Mr.  Davenport  to  put  down  drunkenness 
among  the  Indians  was  crowned  with  success,  and  he  was 
so  active  in  this  particular  that  a  great  change  for  the  bet- 
ter was  visible  in  their  conduct.     On  his  death,  in  Februa- 
rv,  1885,  they  mourned  him  sincerely,  knowing  full  well 
that  they  had  lost  a  true  friend,   who   was  ever  ready  to 
show  them  a  kindness,  or  work  to  secure  their  best  good. 
Whisky  is  the  great  curse  of  humanity,  it  is  especially 
so  to  the  red  man,  and  brings  the  demon  of  unrest  into  the 
quiet  camp.     Under  its  influence  they  often  become  vio- 
lent, cut  each   other  with   knives,  while  the  women  and 
children  rush  in  terror  from  the  lodge.     Wild  howls  ring 
through  the  night  like  the  cries  of  a  beast  of  prey,  inter- 
spersed by  the  firing  of  guns  and  revolvers.     In   one  of 
these  midnight  orgies,  stay  away  from  the  Indian  camp, 
unless  you  have  a  brave  soul,  and  one  that  cares  not  for 
danger.     Any  resentment  they  have  cherished  will  most 
surely  appear  at  this  time.     We  have  seen  the  children 
climb  through  the  open  windows  of  the  school  room  in  a 
panic  of  fear  at  the  approach   of  a  drunken  Indian,  who, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  203 

however,  proved  perfectly  harmless.  Shame  upon  the 
civilization  that  would  rouse  the  wild  feelings  of  the  Indian 
by  selling  him  the  deadly  draught  that  makes  his  soul  as 
that  of  a  demon.  Let  us  blush  for  humanity,  when  for 
paltry  dollars  and  cents,  men  traffic  in  that  which  causes 
broken  hearts  and  ruined  lives,  wrecked  when  they  ap- 
peared of  greatest  promise.  It  is  sometimes  a  difficult 
thing  to  believe  that  man  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  the 
Creator,  as  even  the  most  powerful  microscope  often  fails 
to  make  plain  the  very  faintest  resemblance.  Sooner  or 
later  character  shows  itself.  Only  for  a  certain  time 
can  any  one  disguise  their  real  character.  It  cannot  be 
hidden,  like  the  dead  body  in  "  Eugene  Aram,"  which  was 
covered  by  the  leaves  of  the  forest,  but  lo,  a  mighty  wind 
came,  and  it  was  bare.  Then  he  cast  it  into  a  deep  pool, 
black  with  depth,  and  almost  fathomless;  again  the  water 
was  dried  up,  and  the  hideous  thing  revealed  to  the  sight 
of  the  murderer. 

"  Then  down  I  cast  me  on  my  face,  and  there  began  to  weep, 
For  I  knew  my  secret  then  was  one,  that  earth  refused  to  keep, 

Or  sky  or  sea,  though  it  should  be 

Ten  thousand  fathoms  deep." 

So  if  your  secret  is  one  that  will  not  bear  the  light  of 
day,  if  underneath  an  outward  respectability,  you  are  hid- 
ing some  hideous  defect  of  character,  rest  assured  only 
time  is  needed  to  present  it  plainly  to  the  sight  of  your 
fellow  mortals. 

Upon  no  one  has  the  effect  of  liquor  greater  power  than 
on  the  Indian;  under  its  influence  he  becomes  almost  a 


204  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUA'KIES. 

demon.  The  blood  courses  like  fire  through  his  veins, 
and  the  evil  passions  that  lay  dormant  are  aroused  to  in- 
creased fury.  The  law  has  it  that  no  liquor  shall  be  sold 
to  an  Indian  under  a  heavy  penalty,  but  the  law  in  this, 
and  man)*  other  respects,  seems  made  only  to  be  broken. 

After  the  death  of  Col.  Davenpoi  t,  the  Agency  was 
for  some  time  without  an  Agent.  Hon.  O.  H.  Mills,  a  lead- 
ing attorney  of  Tama  City,  was  appointed,  or  rather  con- 
firmed by  the  Senate  in  1885,  as  United  States  Indian 
Agent,  at  Sac  and  Fox  Agency,  Iowa,  and  afterward  re- 
ceived his  commission  from  President  Cleveland.  This 
appointment  met  the  full  wishes  of  the  Indians,  but  how 
to  reconcile  Republicanism  and  Democracy,  is  a  problem 
that  must  remain  forever  unsolved.  Mr.  Mills  being  a 
Republican,  and  a  leading  politician,  had  sent  in  his  resig- 
nation soon  after  his  first  appointment,  which,  however, 
was  not  accepted  by  the  Department,  or  rather  was  not 
carried  into  effect  until  he  had  held  the  office  about  six 
months.  The  Indians,  meanwhile,  unknown  to  Mr.  Mills, 
forwarded  a  petition  to  Washington  to  have  him  retained 
as  Agent;  this,  howeyer,  (probably  in  a  rush  of  business,) 
was  overlooked.  "  To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils." 

Some  improvements  were  made  by  Mr.  Mills  during 
his  administration,  and  projects  advanced  that  would  ulti- 
mately have  resulted  in  the  progression  of  the  Indian,  and 
these  plans  would  undoubtedly  have  reached  a  successful 
consummation  had  time,  or  rather  the  lack  of  time,  not 
interfered.  Every  week  he  held  a  council  with  the  In- 
dians, either  at  the  school  building,  or  in  Tama  City,  and 
frequently  visited  the  school  and  had  a  personal  supervis- 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  205 

ion  of  all  matters  connected  with  it.  During  his  term  of 
office  the  Agent  had  the  Government  school  house  paint- 
ed red  in  honor  of  the  present  administration. 

While  association  with  strangers  makes  but  slight  dif- 
ference to  white  persons,  it  is  not  so  with  the  Indian. 
Strangers  as  employe's  among  them  they  view  with  sus- 
picion and  distrust,  and  it  takes  a  length  of  time  to  over- 
come this  feeling.  All  tribes  are  more  or  less  affected  in 
the  same  way  until  they  have  become  familiar  with  civili- 
zation, but  this  is  especially  so  of  the  Musquakies.  Instead 
of  advancing  any  work  among  them,  the  presence  of  a 
stranger  retards  it.  Any  one  familiar  with  the  character 
of  the  Indian  will  echo  this  assertion. 

In  September,  1885,  W.  H.  Black,  of  Montour,  Iowa, 
took  charge  as  Agent.  He  seems  disposed  to  treat  the 
Indians  fairly,  and  council  with  them  for  their  benefit,  and 
as  he  is  a  man  of  good  business  qualifications,  will  faith- 
fully perform  all  matters  of  that  nature.  The  Indians  have 
confidence  in  his  judgment,  and  the  business  interests  of 
the  tribe  will  lose  nothing  in  his  hands.  So  far  Mr.  Black's 
administration  has  been  characterized  by  just  dealing,  and 
a  desire  for  the  improvement  of  those  under  his  charge. 

An  alarming  increase  of  drunkenness  among  the  In- 
dians has  occurred  during  the  past  year.  Probably  one 
reason  of  this  is  the  fact  that  there  are  no  Government 
employe's  at  the  Agency  to  notify  the  Agent  what  is  go- 
ing on;  and  as  the  result  has  proven,  it  appears  quite  an 
important  matter,  especially  as  the  Indians  are  not  under 
the  personal  surveillance  of  the  Agent.  No  Agent  can 
properly  perform  the  duties  of  the  office,  and  carry  out 


2O6  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

plans  for  the  advancement  of  the  Indian,  under  such  con- 
ditions, and  the  attempt  must  result  in  detriment  to  all 
concerned.  There  is  not  another  Agency  in  the  United 
States  where  such  a  condition  of  things  exists.  Of  course 
it  must  be  remembered  that  an  Agent  can  do  nothing 
without  the  authority  of  the  Indian  Department. 

Recognizing  that  every  means  should  be  used  to  im- 
prove the  condition  of  these  people,  the  Hon.  B.  T.  Frede- 
rick had  a  personal  interview  with  the  Commissioner,  ex- 
plaining that  just  as  some  signs  of  advancement  were  visi- 
ble, it  was  to  be  deplored  that  the  means  used  to  bring 
about  this  result,  were  withdrawn;  the  resignation  of  the 
teacher  in  November,  1885,  leaving  the  Agency  without  a 
single  employe'. 

It  is  generally  conceded  by  all  persons  who  under- 
stand anything  of  the  matter,  that  it  is  high  time  some- 
thing was  done,  either  by  the  State  in  passing  a  law  of 
compulsory  education,  not  to  remain  as  a  dead  letter  upon 
the  statute  book,  but  to  be  strictly  enforced;  or  by  the  In- 
dian Department  in  exerting  its  authority  over  these  "  wards 
of  the  Nation." 

Build  the  Indians  suitable  homes  to  live  in,  and  let 
them  live  in  their  homes  in  peace,  and  enjoy  the  rights 
that  are  justly  theirs;  but  impress  upon  their  mind, 
by  word  and  action,  without  any  possibility  of  mistake, 
that  while  they  live  in  a  civilized  country,  they  must  con- 
form to  its  laws,  advance  with  it,  educate  the  children ;  or 
finally  in  the  natural  course  of  human  events,  the  strong 
will  put  down  the  weak,  and  the  Indian  will  fall  back  and 
his  place  be  filled  by  the  white  man. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  2O7 

This  has  been  the  history  of  the  race,  even  when  the 
same  circumstances  did  not  exist,  as  are  present  with  this 
tribe.  "The  Indian  must  go,"  has  been  re-echoed  all 
along  the  ages,  until  his  footsteps  have  passed  from  the 
East  to  the  West,  and  are  even  now  still  forced  backward 
by  the  progressive  power  of  civilization. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Petition  Presented  to  Congress  by  Hon.  James  WiJson— Keokuk 
and  His  Braves— Counting  the  Indians— Keokuk  in  Washing- 
ton—O.  II.  Mills  the  Indians'  Attorney— Judge  Kinne  also 
Intercedes  in  Their  Behalf — Injustice. 

In  1884  a  petition  was  forwarded  by  this  branch  of  the 
Sac  and  Fox  tribe,  and  presented  to  Congress  by  Hon. 
James  Wilson,  of  Tama  county,  praying  for  an  equal  dis- 
tribution, according  to  numbers,  of  the  annuity  money  of 
the  consolidated  tribe;  this  portion  having  never  received  the 
share  justly  their  due,  while  the  Sacs  were  paid  much 
more.  The  bill  calling  for  an  equal  distribution  finally 
passed,  and  this,  of  course,  excited  the  ire  of  Keokuk  and 
his  braves  in  Indian  Territory,  for  if  you  encroach  on  a 
man's  pocket  book,  whether  he  be  white  or  Indian,  it  will 
immediately  be  resented. 

In  order  to  have  a  fair  adjustment  of  the  matter,  the 
Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  ordered  the  Foxes,  or 
Musquakies,  to  be  counted,  and  sent  Special  Agent  Robb 
for  this  purpose.  Keokuk,  Chief  of  the  Sacs,  his  Attor- 
ney, Interpreter,  and  three  braves,  came  from  Indian  Ter- 
ritory to  witness  the  counting,  which  was  done  at  the  In- 
dian village,  the  whole  tribe  being  there  assembled,  when 
the  number  was  found  to  be  exactly  the  same  as  had  be- 
fore been  given. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  2OO 

The  Musquakies  were  greatly  incensed  at  the  action 
of  Keokuk,  and  concluded  a  short  time  after,  that  some 
of  their  number  would  go  to  Indian  Territory  and  see  the 
Sacs  counted.  Accordingly  two  Chiefs,  the  Interpreter 
and  leading  Councilors,  in  charge  of  Hon.  A.  W.  Guern- 
sey, of  Tama  City,  left  for  that  purpose,  but  failed  to  ac- 
complish their  object,  as  many  of  the  Indians  were  absent 
from  the  reservation,  and  had  not  been  called  in  by  the 
Agent.  A  paper  in  the  vicinity  perpetrated  the  following 
in  reference  to  their  visit,  which  shows  that  much  politics 
"doth  make  men  mad:" 

"  It  is  reported  that  Hon.  A.  W.  Guernsey,  of  Tama 
City,  has  taken  a  number  of  stalwart  Musquakies,  and 
gone  to  Indian  Territory  to  electioneer  for  Cleveland." 

In  the  spring  of  1886,  the  matter  was  again  brought 
up,  Keokuk  and  his  lawyer  having  spent  some  time  in 
Washington,  and  brought  what  influence  they  could  to 
bear  upon  it. 

About  this  time  one  of  those  great  men,  commonly 
known  as  U.  S.  Senators,  resolved  to  add  one  more  to  the 
list  of  wrongs  perpetrated  upon  the  Indian,  and  bring  in  a 
bill  obliging  them  to  remove  to  Indian  Territory,  or  at 
least  be  paid  their  money  there,  and  nowhere  else.  Hon. 
O.  H.  Mills,  of  Tama  City,  went  to  Washington  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  Indians,  Keokuk  meanwhile  haying  threat- 
ened to  bring  the  matter  to  trial  in  a  civil  court.  Harassed 
on  every  side  the  Musquakies  knew  not  what  to  do.  The 
assurance  being  given  them  there  was  no  reason  to  dread 
a  removal  calmed  their  fears  for  some  time,  but  the  money 
question  was  still  prominent  and  caused  them  much  anx- 


2IO  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

iety.  Finally  Judge  Kinne,  of  Toledo,  visited  Washing- 
ton in  their  behalf,  and  had  a  personal  interview  with  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  the  Indian  Commissioner. 

The  manifest  injustice  of  trying  to  force  these  people 
to  leave  their  homes  in  Iowa  and  remove  to  Indian  Terri- 
tory,  against  their  will  is  very  apparent.  They  are  land 
holders,  and  residents  of  the  State,  and  ought,  therefore, 
to  be  under  its  protection. 

Let  us  hope  that  the  present  age  may  be  free  from  the 
injustice  of  the  past,  else  the  nation  has  profited  but  little  by 
the  long  list  of  Indian  wars,  brought  about  in  almost  every 
instance,  by  bad  faith  on  the  part  of  the  Government;  and 
though  these  Indians,  as  far  as  their  strength  goes,  would 
be  powerless  to  resist  such  a  decree,  its  injustice  would, 
therefore,  be  the  more  conspicuous,  and  inspire  just  the 
same  feeling,  as  when  we  see  the  strong  torturing  the 
weak  and  helpless. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Efforts  to  Injure  the  School— Politeness— Almost  an  Oath—"  May 
be  I  Lied  " — A  Masonic  Symbol — Payment  of  Annuity  Money 
—The  Indians  and  the  Inspector. 

Several  incidents  might  be  related  that  occurred  dur- 
ing a  period  of  two  and  a  half  years  spent  among  the  In- 
dians, during  which  time  the  school  was  continued,  some- 
times the  prospects  being  bright,  and  again  discouraging. 
Trouble  often  arises  from  inefficient  and  unreliable  per- 
sons being  employed  at  Agencies.  Sac  and  Fox  Agency, 
Iowa,  has  been  no  exception  to  this  almost  universal  rule. 
It  takes  time  to  prove  the  fitness  of  any  one  for  the  posi- 
tion they  occupy,  and  during  that  time  it  is  possible  that 
they  do  much  harm.  This  was  the  case  with  an  employe' 
who  occupied  the  school  building,  and  assisted  by  others, 
from  motives  of  self-interest  and  other  causes,  endeavored 
to  oppose  the  workings  of  the  school  and  do  it  an  irrepar- 
able injury,  but  in  this  instance  the  plans  of  evil  disposed 
persons  fell  through. 

While  politeness  is  rare  among  the  Indians,  it  is  not  al- 
together unknown.  On  going  to  the  school  one  stormy 
morning,  after  a  snow  storm,  an  Indian  waiting  at  the 
building  for  the  door  to  be  opened,  came  forward  to  the 
sleigh,  and  tramped  a  path  through  the  snow  that  we 
might  walk  dry  shod.  Although  a  small  act,  it  was  a 


212  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

great  thing  from  an  Indian  point  of  view.  He  would  un- 
doubtedly have  let  any  of  the  women  of  his  race,  wade 
through  the  snow,  waist  deep,  'ere  he  condescended  to 
exert  himself  for  their  benefit. 

Ke-pe-tau,  who  had  often  been  told  it  was  wrong  to 
use  profane  language,  was  one  day  talking  of  the  intelli- 
gence, etc.,  of  his  pony.  He  became  very  much  interested 
in  the  recital,  but  suddenly  he  stopped,  apparently  on  the 
very  threshold  of  an  oath,  and  gazing  at  us  with  a  comical 
expression  and  twinkling  eyes,  he  exclaimed: 

"  You  come  pretty  near  catch  me  swear." 

Talking  to  a  young  Indian  once,  when  a  stranger 
among  them,  we  prevailed  upon  him  to  write  his  name 
upon  paper.  This  he  did,  and  "John  Wau-pa-mac"  ap- 
peared in  large  letters.  Wishing  to  make  some  friendly 
remark,  and  supposing  his  knowledge  of  English  was 
limited,  before  he  left  we  read  over  the  name  and  said: 

"I  shall  remember  you  now,  I  know  your  name." 

"  May  be,"  was  the  doubtful  answer. 

"Some  of  the  Indians  will  not  give  their  names,  I 
am  glad  you  have  told  me  yours." 

"  May  be  I  tell  you,"  he  replied,  "  and  may  be  I  lied." 

Having  frequently  noticed  the  Indians  wearing  silver 
pins  upon  which  was  engraved  the  symbol  of  Masonry, 
we  made  inquiry,  but  found  that  they  had  seen  and  copied 
it  when  making  their  Jewelry,  and  it  bore  no  hidden  sig- 
nification to  their  prosaic  minds.  It  is  said  that  many  of  the 
Indians  in  the  west  are  members  of  the  Masonic  order,  but 
this  is  undoubtedly  an  error;  and  yet  what  a  domestic 
weapon  it  would  be  in  the  hands  of  a  savage.  He  might 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

be  out  "  scalping"  six  nights  in  the  week,  and  what  is  the 
dusky  queen  who  presides  in  his  wigwam  going  to  do 
about  it?  when  he  tells  her  they  have  been  doing  "  work  " 
at  the  lodge. 

The  day  on  which  the  annuity  money  is  paid  is  always 
a  gala  day  among  the  Indians.  The  whole  tribe  assemble 
at  the  place  appointed  and  there  is  much  talking  and 
laughing.  The  Chiefs  and  Councilors  are  always  in  a 
little  coubt  as  to  whether  the  right  amount  has  been  sent 
them.  A  great  man}7  possibilities  come  into  their  minds. 
They  do  not  know  but  the  Great  Father  himself  (the  Presi- 
dent) may  be  short  of  pocket  money,  and  so  put  by  a  little 
for  his  own  use,  before  sending  the  balance  to  the  Agent, 
and  a  certain  amount  of  talk  has  to  be  gone  through  with 
by  the  Chiefs  before  the  matter  is  settled  to  their  satisfac- 
tion. The  pay  roll  is  signed  by  the  heads  of  families, 
whether  they  be  men  or  women,  by  making  X  for  their 
names,  opposite  the  amount  due  themselves  and  families. 

Ash-e-ton-e-quot,  the  grandson  of  the  old  Chief,  is 
quick  at  figures,  and  by  giving  him  the  amount  due  the 
whole  tribe  he  can  very  soon  find  out  what  is  due  each 
individual.  On  receiving  their  money  the  Indians  imme- 
diately pay  the  debts  contracted  by  them  during  the  year. 
Brice  &  Son,  a  firm  in  Tama  City,  annually  trust  them  to 
the  amount  of  several  thousand  dollars. 

The  following  incident  illustrates  the -dogged  deter- 
mination of  the  Indians  to  have  their  own  way,  and  their 
usual  success  in  this  particular.  A  Government  Inspector 
visited  the  Agency,  accompanied  by  the  Agent,  Mr.  Mills. 
The  Indians  had  been'previously  notified  to  be  at  the  school 


214  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    IvfUSQUAKIES. 

building,  where  councils  were  always  held.     On   arriving, 
a  large  number  of  Indians,  with  the  Chiefs  and  head  men, 
were  found  seated  on  the  platform  outside,  or  under  the  . 
trees,  pleasantly  engaged  in  their  usual  avocation  of  smok- 
ing, which  they  did  with  commendable  energy. 

After  entering  the  building  the  Interpreter  was  sent  in 
by  the  Chiefs  to  find  out  the  object  of  the  Inspector's 
visit. 

"The  Indians  want  to  know  why  you  came  here,"  was 
the  query. 

"I  have  been  visiting  agencies  in  the  West,  and  have 
been  sent  by  the  Commissioner  to  visit  this  one  also." 

"Have  you  got  anything  to  say  to  the  Indians?" 

"  No,  well  that  is  nothing  special,"  replied  the  Inspec- 
tor. 

This  was  reported  to  the  Indians  outside,  who  took 
offence  at  the  above  remark.  In  a  short  time  the  Inter- 
preter was  ordered  to  tell  them  to  come  into  the 
building,  and  have  a  council.  The  Chiefs  immediately 
sent  back  word  they  would  not  do  so,  neither  should  any 
of  the  Indians. 

"  If  you  have  nothing  to  say  to  us,"  was  the  reply  sent, 
"then  we  don't  want  anything  to  say  to  you." 

On  being  again  urged,  they  finally  decided,  if  the  In- 
spector really  wanted  to  have  a  talk  with  them,  they  would 
listen,  but  he  must  go  where  they  were.  As  the  moun- 
tain would  not  go  to  Mahomet,  Mahomet  must  necessarily 
go  to  the  mountain.  This  principle  was  carried  into  effect, 
and  the  council  held,  with  the  blue  sky  of  heaven  for  a 
canopy;  the  sunlight  reflecting  a  halo  of  glory  around  the 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  215 

head  of  the  Agent,  and  the  fresh  breezes  fanning  the  brow 
of  the  Inspector  with  gentle  motion;  while  upon  the  stolid 
faces  of  the  Indians  not  a  sign  could  be  seen  that  they  felt 
elated  at  the  victory  gained. 

After  the  departure .  of  the  Government  officer,  to 
whom  they  had  shown  such  scant  courtesy,  they  came 
into  the  school,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  writer,  talked 
over  the  matter,  laughing  heartily  at  it.  They  were  bliss- 
fully unconscious  of  the  fact  that  this  official  reported 
them  at  headquarters,  as  being  the  most  stubborn  and  pre- 
judiced Indians  he  had  ever  encountered;  asserting  there 
was  no  more  probability  of  influencing  a  stone  wall,  than 
these  people  against  their  ideas  or  desires,  and  that  it  gave 
him  much  surprise  it  had  ever  been  found  possible  to 
accomplish  anything  at  all  with  them,  in  the  matter  of  ed- 
ucation and  progression.  But  even  had  they  afterward 
discovered  the  none  too  flattering  opinion  of  their  visitor, 
the  Musquakie  would  have  calmly  contemplated  the  fact, 
from  the  sublime  height  of  his  indifference,  and  let  no  wave 
of  anger,  at  anything  so  trivial,  disturb  the  calm  serenity 
of  his  mind. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

No  Kespect  for  Women— Polygamy  and  Immorality  Practiced— 
Murder  of  a  Pawnee  by  Black  Wolf— Another  Crime— Not,  so 
Bad  as  They  Might  Be— Time  Rings  its  Changes. 

As  with  all  semi-barbarous  people,  this  tribe  of  Indians 
have  but  little  respect  for  the  women,  but  the  natural  feel- 
ing of  love  for  their  children  is  prominent,  and  more  no- 
ticeable than  anv  other.  Whether  this  is  because  they  are 

J  * 

undemonstrative  by  nature,  01  not,  it  is  hard  to  say.  Cer- 
tain it  is,  we  have  never  observed  an  Indian  show  any  out- 
ward regard  or  respect  for  the  partner  of  "  his  joys 
and  sorrows."  This  may,  in  a  measure,  be  owing  to 
custom,  and  another  reason  can  be  found  in  the  fact  that 
a  large  number  of  the  men  have  had  several  wives.  It  is 
impossible  they  can  have  affection  for  all,  and  this  perni- 
cious custom  has  contributed  in  a  great  measure  to  the 
lack  of  respect  with  which  the  women  are  treated.  . 

So  in  all  tribes,  and  among  all  nations  where  Christi- 
anity and  education  are  found  wanting,  the  women  are  de- 
based. So  in  civilization  those  who  have  no  respect  for 
women,  put  themselves  on  a  par  with  the  savage;  even 
more  debased  than  he,  they  have  not  the  plea  of  ignorance 
and  unenlightenment  to  shield  them.  When  the  poor  In- 
dian woman  shall  be  raised  from  her  degredation,  and 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  217 

taught  that  purity  is  the  guiding  star  to  all  that  is  true  and 
nohle,  then  may  we  hope  for  better  things. 

The  present  condition  of  these  people  in  this  respect  is 
to  be  deplored.  Immorality  is  praciiced,  polygamy  like- 
wise, many  of  the  Indians  having  two  or  more  wives  with 
whom  they  are  living.  If  immorality  is  a  crime,  what  can 
be  said  of  the  fair  fame  of  our  State,  that  allows  a  people 
to  dwell  within  her  borders  in  a  condition  of  social  and 
moral  depravity?  Allowed  to  become  land  owners,  and 
after  that  passed  over  as  irresponsible  persons,  not  amena- 
ble to  the  laws  of  the  land.  If  the  law  takes  hold  of  the 
Indian  for  the  crime  of  theft,  why  does  it  not  also  when  he 
is  guilt v  of  other  and  greater  crimes? 

Alas  for  civilization  when  the  Indian  knows  all  of  its 
vices,  and  but  few  of  its  virtues.  When  he  learns  deceit 
from  the  treachery  of  pretended  friends,  when  his  associ- 
ates are  among  the  vicious  only  of  low  whites,  who  visit 
his  camp  and  his  home,  and  teach  him  vice  by  example 
and  precept.  Alas  for  the  civilization  that  stretches  forth 
no  hand  to  raise  the  fallen,  but  because  he  is  a  being  of  a. 
lower  order,  or  dirty,  and  lazy,  and  shocks  the  fine  sensi- 
bilities of  refinement,  is  left  to  find  companions  among 
those  who  are  much  worse  than  himself. 

It  is  strange  that  in  spite  of  the  many  drawbacks  to 
the  advancement  and  progression  of  these  people;  crime, 
far  as  violent  acts  are  concerned,  is  almost  unknown  in  the 
Indian  village,  only  one  having  occurred  during  a  period 
of  many  years.  This  was  the  killing  of  a  Pawnee  Indian 
by  Black  Wolf,  in  1874. 

The  Indian,  with  four  others,  was  on  a  visit  to  the  Mus- 


2-lS  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

quakie's  camp,  and  in  some  way  excited  the  resentment  of 
Black  Wolf,  who  shot  him  in  the  back  when  he  was  in 
the  act  of  leaving.  The  body  was  then  buried  as  quickly 
as  possible.  When  the  news  reached  the  authorities  at 
Tama  City,  preparations  were  immediately  made  for  the 
arrest  of  Black  Wolf.  He  was  taken  to  jail,  but  at  the 
end  of  one  year  was  released,  no  witnesses  appearing 
against  him. 

Black  Wolf  is  still  living  with  his  tribe.  We  are  well 
acquainted  with  him.  Have  sat  and  conversed  with  him 
quite  alone,  many  a  time.  Found  him  gentle  in  speech 
and  manner,  honest  and  truthful,  and  a  "good  Indian  "  in 
every  way,  so  that  we  are  inclined  to  the  belief,  (without 
in  -any  way  condoning  the  fearful  crime  of  taking  human 
life,)  that  if  Black  Wolf  killed  the  Pawnee,  the  Pawnee 
deserved  it,  and  had  committed  some  deed  worthy  of  death, 
which  Black  Wolf  revenged  in  the  only  way  that  occur- 
red to  him. 

Since  the  above  was  first  written,  another  probable 
crime  has  been  committed,  whiskv  being  the  main  cause. 
A  young  Indian  was  run  over  by  a  train  on  the  C.,  M.  & 
St.  P.  Railroad,  which  goes  through  the  Indian  land.  He 
was  supposed  to  have  been  intoxicated  and  laid  down  upon 
the  track;  but  evidence  has  since  been  given  that  he  was 
in  company  with  other  Indians,  all  of  whom  had  been 
drinking.  On  the  journey  homeward  a  fight  ensued,  and 
he  was  killed  by  the  others.  They  then  placed  his  body 
upon  the  track  in  such  a  position  that  the  passing  train 
would  mangle  it,  and  their  bloody  deed  remain  unknown. 
While  there  is  room  for  much  improvement  among 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  2Ip 

the  Musquakies,  in  almost  every  condition  that  exists  at. 
the  present  time  among  them,  let  us  not  suppose  them  des- 
titute of  good  qualities,  either  of  honest}',  virtue  or  truth- 
fulness, for  such  would  be  an  entire  misrepresentation. 
Undoubtedly  the  history  of  the  whole  race  may  be  epito- 
mized in  few  words:  they  have  been  more  sinned  against 
than  sinning.  A  series  of  mistakes  in  the  management  of 
this  tribe  for  many  long  years,  more  important  than  those 
of  Moses,  (as  seen  by  Ingersoll,)  has  contributed  to  their 
present  condition,  in  a  large  measure;  while  their  own  pre- 
judice, superstition,  and  intense  dislike  for  anything  likely 
to  result  in  a  change  of  their  mode  of  life,  dress,  or  cus- 
tom, has  supplied  the  rest.  Perhaps  no  people  have  been 
less  affected  by  time  and  the  proximity  of  civilization,  than 
these.  In  dress,  in  habit,  in  worship,  excepting  only  in 
some  minor  matter,  they  are  substantially  the  same  as 
when  the  first  white  man  trod  upon  Iowa  soil; and  yet  time 
has  rung  its  changes,  and  these  people,  whose  forefathers 
fought  bravely  and  well  for  the  undisputed  possession  of 
their  own  land,  now  live  in  peace  and  harmony,  both  with 
themselves  and  their  white  neighbors. 

So  time  rings  its  changes  upon  all  things  earthly.  The 
past  gives  place  to  the  present.  The  faces  of  friends 
change,  as  does  the  face  of  nature;  sometimes  bright  and 
smiling,  again  dark  and  lowering.  In  the  rush  of  life  the 
weak  are  trampled  on  by  the  strong;  and  the  tempted  who 
have  no  power  to  resist,  or  care  not  to  do  so,  find  them-  . 
selves,  when  too  late,  tossed  hither  and  thither  in  the  great 
whirlpool  of  destruction.  Nothing  can  remain  long,  as  it 
is.  Even  this  great  earth  has  been  working  put  its  own 


22O  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

destiny  all  through  the  ages.  The  voice  of  the  sounding 
sea  is  near,  then  again  far  off.  It  recedes  from  the  beach 
where  its  waves  have  tossed  for  centuries,  and  again  en- 
croaches on  the  land  of  a  distant  shore. 

Time  rings  its  changes,  and  one  era  fades  away,  and 
another  is  ushered  into  existence,  so  different  to  the  last, 
that  were  it  not  for  the  land  marks  of  history,  who  could 
tell  of  the  people  who  lived  before,  their  customs,  social 
habits,  vices  or  virtues?  Who  could  tell?  only  as  we  guess 
of  the  mound  builders  by  their  formation  or  contents,  only 
as  from  some  modern  Pompeii,  we  unearth  the  record  of 
a  previous  existence,  telling  of  the  glory,  wealth,  or  pur- 
suits of  an  extinct  people?  Only  as  we  might  judge  from 
marble  corridors,  and  golden  vases,  from  curious  mechan- 
ism or  antique  carving.  Only  as  we  might  judge  of  the 
age  from  the  architecture;  turning,  meanwhile,  our 
thoughts  to  the  Great  Architect,  who  carves  out  human 
destinies,  and  upbuilds  or  destroys,  while  He  holds  the  fate 
of  Nations  in  the  hollow  of  His  hands. 

Time  rings  it  changes  on  the  inconsistencies,  and  mis- 
takes of  humanity,  hiding  them  from  view.  At  the  pres- 
ent day  society  goes  wild  over  some  new  found  genius, 
whose  thoughts  soar  even  beyond  the  clouds.  His  name 
sends  a  thrill  through  the  hearts  of  his  adorers.  A  few 
short  )^ears  and  we  hear  of  him  dying  in  poverty  in  some 
lonely  garret. 

The  famous  hero  whose  gigantic  mind  saw  two  armies 
rn'eeting  in  battle;  who  planned  the  whole  machinery  of 
motion,  and  whose  heroic  words  inspired  his  men  to  dt  ter- 
mined  and  concentrated  action.  Where  is  he?  .  Time 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  221 


rings  its  changes;  and  were  his  deeds  not  recorded  on  the 
pages  of  history  who  could  trace  them?  So  with  the 
great  reformer.  Perhaps  he  may  have  the  best  good  of 
the  people  at  heart,  awhile  is  he  borne  on  the  shoulders  of 
humanity,  then  his  future  career  is  marked  only  by  the 
broken  eggs  that  emit  a  disagreeable  odor,  falling  upon  his 
pathway.  Whether  this  is  the  rule,  or  exception,  we  leave 
you,  kind  reader,  to  determine. 

But  as  time  is  all  powerful,  how  will  the  future  affect  this 
remnant  of  a  once  powerful  tribe?  For  good  let  us  hope,  if 
wise  and  judicious  management  is  theirs.  When  education, 
both  spiritual  and  secular,  has  taught  them  better  things. 
When  tribal  law  is  abolished,  and  barbaric  rites  of  wor- 
ship are  no  more,  and  when  enlightenment,  that  great 
harbinger  of  civilization,  has  dispelled  the  darkness  of  su- 
perstition and  ignorance. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Christianizing  the  Indian — A  Missionary  should  Live  at  the  Indian 
Village— Learn  the  Language— The  Chiefs  and  Leading  Men 
Influence  the  Whole  Tribe — A  Missionary  Spirit — Work  of 
Episcopal  Church  and  Others— Native  Preachers—"  I  Would 
then  be  a  Heathen  "—Missionary  Society  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church — Its  Efforts  to  Christianize  the  Indian. 

The  work  of  christianizing  the  Indians  of  the  Sac  and 
Fox  tribe,  cannot  be  accomplished  without  persevering 
and  determined  effort,  and  above  all  the  means  used  that 
will  be  more  likely  to  secure  the  hoped  for  result.  From 
careful  observation,  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  this 
people,  the  conviction  is  forced  upon  the  mind  that  it  is 
upon  the  men  of  the  tribe  such  effort  should  be  concentra- 
ted, and  this  work  must  be  done  by  one  who  would  live 
at  the  Indian  village. 

There  are  many  reasons,  not  meet  to  mention  here,  but 
which  are  known  to  those  familiar  with  the  customs,  etc., 
of  the  tribe  and  their  present  condition,  which  points  to  this 
as  the  only  hope  for  their  future  in  this  respect.  Preju- 
dice and  resentment  would  arise,  and  obstacles  of  almost 
every  kind,  but  if  these  Indians  are  ever  christianized, 
the  general  opinion  is,  'it  will  be  by  such  means  and  such 
means  only. 

Who  can  estimate  the  good  that  might  eventually  be 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  223 

~ 

accomplished  by  some  earnest  and  devoted  man,  dwelling 
in  the  Indian  village,  becoming  identified  with  their  social 
life,  teaching  them  daily  by  example  and  precept,  learning 
the  language,  which  would  be  instrumental  in  a  great 
measure  in  securing  their  confidence,  and  give  opportunity 
and  advantage  gained  in  no  other  way?  So  step  by  step 
leading  the  Indian  to  higher  and  better  things. 

A  change  of  opinion  effected  in  the  Chiefs  and  head 
men,  the  whole  tribe  are  changed.  Men,  women,  and 
children  would  alike  be  under  the  same  influence,  and  un- 
til this  is  accomplished,  the  Indian  woman  will  never  be 
raised  from  the  degredation  of  either  moral  or  physical 
slavery,  in  which  a  large  portion  are  now  living. 

While  we  deplore  the  fact  that  so  much  remains  to  be 
done,  and  truth  and  error  are  so  closely  intermixed  in  their 
belief,  we  can  only  present  actual  facfis,  and  not  "rose  col- 
ored" statements  that  exist  onlv  in  the  imagination. 

Surely  the  same  missionary  spirit  may  be  found  now, 
as  in  years  gone  by,  when  the  Jesuit  priests  traveled 
through  the  western  wilds  and  settled  in  the  camps  of  hos- 
tile savages,  displaying  a  devotion  to  the  cause  that  speaks 
for  itself;  living  for  years  among  them  and  undergoing 
hardships  of  every  kind.  For  what?  That  the  faith  they 
believed  might  be  promulgated  among  the  savage  tribes. 
The  footprints  of  these  men  are  visible  even  now.  Their 
teachings  and  lives  have  left  a  mark  upon  "the  sands  of 
time,"  and  many  an  Indian  far  away  in  the  wild  country 
they  call  their  own,  will  bow  his  head  reverently  at  the 
name  of  Jesus;  or  in  the  churches  scattered  hither  and 


224  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

thither,   kneel   with   devotion  before  the  altar,  or  at  the 
shrine  of  Mary. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  others,  have 
done  a  vast  amount  of  good,  which  cannot  here  be  properly 
estimated,  especially  in  Nebraska,  Dakota  and  Minnesota. 
Those  life  long  friends  of  the  Indians,  Bishop  Whipple, 
Bishop  Hare,  and  the  late  Dr.  Riggs  and  sons,  are  promi- 
nent in  this  good  work,  and  have  been  instrumental  in  res- 
cuing many  from  a  depth  of  superstition  and  ignorance, 
almost  inconceivable;  while  the  long  list  of  native  preach- 
ers and  teachers,  prove  how  faithfully  they  have  labored. 
Many  of  these  Indian  preachers  travel  miles  each  Sabbath 
to  hold  service  in  some  little  church  on  the  prairie,  where 
dusky  heads  are  bowed  in"  reverence,  and  earnest  voices 
repeat  the  responses  of  the  church  in  their  native  tongue. 

Looking  back  at*  the  obstacles  successfully  encountered 
in  this  particular,  and  the  number  of  Indians  already  re- 
claimed from  ignorance,  vice  and  superstition;  and  taking 
for  a  precedent  that  what  has  once  been  accomplished  in 
this  respect  among  other  tribes,  may  be  with  this;  we  can 
do  no  other  than  believe  that  the  time  will  come  when 
many  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe  will  be  among  the  number 
who  have  come  out  of  darkness  into  "  His  marvelous 
light,"  and  yet  the  most  sanguine  cannot  expect,  even  un- 
der the  most  favorable  circumstances,  but  years  will  pass 
by,  and  still  time  go  on,  'ere  such  a  thing  is  possible. 

Of  late  years  the  ministers  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Indians 
would  have  gladly  began  work  among  them  at  any 
time  by  holding  weekly  service  at  the  camp,  or  otherwise 
laboring  for  their  benefit,  but  it  was  found  impracticable. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  225 

The  question  being  put  by  a  Persian  to  one  of  like 
faith: 

"If  you  were  persecuted  because  you  refused  to  be  a 
heathen,  what  would  you  do?" 

"  Why  I  would  then  be  a  heathen,"  was  the  reply. 

So  one  great  difficulty  among  the  Indians  is  that  even 
were  some  of  them  disposed  to  a  change  themselves,  they 
would  fear  the  opposition  of  the  others,  and  still  remain 
heathen,  rather  than  excite  it. 

Some  threee  years  since  the  Woman's  Missionary  So- 
ciety in  connection  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Iowa, 
commenced  work  among  the  Indians  by  sending  Miss 
Anna  Skea  as  a  missionary  to  labor  among  them.  Miss 
Skea  had  for  some  years  previously  occupied  the  posi- 
tion of  House  Keeper  at  the  "Boy's  Hall,"  a  home  for  In- 
dian young  men  and  boys,  while  attending  school  at  the 
Santee  Mission,  under  charge  of  Rev.  A.  L.  Riggs;  and 
had,  therefore,  opportunities  of  studying  Indian  character. 

The  object  of  the  Society  is  one  that  must  commend 
itself  to  all  well  disposed  persons,  and  the  desire  to  im- 
prove the  spiritual  condition  of  these  people  worthy  of  all 
praise;  and  undoubtedly  should  one  method  prove  a  fail- 
uie,  their  zeal  in  this  good  cause  will  prompt  the  trial  of 
other  methods,  in  the  hope  of  reaching  them  eventually. 

The  work  among  the  Indians  consisted  mostly  in  visit- 
ing, doing  sewing  for  them,  or  anything  likely  to  gain  their 
confidence.  A  room  was  fitted  up  in  Tama  City,  made 
attractive  with  pictures,  etc.,  where  the  Indians  were  free 
to  go  on  visiting  town. 

Miss  Dora  Ball,  of  Cedar  Rapids,  was  associated  with 


226  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

Miss  Skea  for  a  year,  and  later  Miss  M.  A.  Shepherd,  of 
Wisconsin,  who  has  had  several  years'  experience  among 
Indians,  and  while  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  but  small  meas- 
ure of  success  has  so  far  resulted  in  the  efforts  made  by  the 
Society,  it  should  be  remembered  that  these  Indians  are 
hard  to  reach;  many  obstacles  continually  arise  in  the 
shape  of  prejudice  and  suspicion,  and  above  all,  "Ephraim 
is  wedded  to  his  idols;"  but  let  us  hope  that  a  brighter  day 
may  soon  dawn,  when  the  rites  of  Pagan  worship  shall 
give  place  to  the  humble  supplication  of  the  devout  Chris- 
tian. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Friends  of  tne  Indian— Starvation— The  French  Lady— A  Gatling 
Gun— Death  of  Big  Snake— Remarks  of  Bishop  Whipple— An 
Age  of  Tragedy— Col.  A.  B.  Meacham— "  Boll  Back,  Long 
Years"— Mrs.  H.  II.  Jackson— Story  of  the  Poncas. 

Since  the  days  of  William  Penn,  friends  have  been 
raised  up  to  advocate  the  cause  of  the  Indian  as  a  people, 
and  of  late  years  a  better  sentiment  exists  with  reference 
to  them.  After  the  death  of  Penn  a  Quaker  was  always 
unmolested,  even  by  the  most  savage,  proving  there  is  a 
power  in  kindness  that  can  be  found  in  nothing  else. 
Down  through  the  years  that  intervened  between  that 
time  and  this,  the  Indian  cause  has  had  its  adherents,  but 
in  contrasting  that  with  other  objects,  no  more  just  or  im- 
portant, they  have  been  very  few  in  number,  and  at  the 
present  time  there  is  more  ignorance  displayed,  (even 
among  cultivated  people,)  as  relating  to  the  actual  condi- 
tion of  things  among  the  tribes,  causes  of  war,  etc.,  than 
on  any  other  question. 

From  one  stand-point  those  who  have  no  knowledge 
of  the  matter  view  it,  and  that  is  from  the  stand-point  of 
prejudice,  which  is  always  one  sided.  Of  late  years  pub- 
lic opinion  is  somewhat  changed  in  this  respect,  but  there 
are  still  those  who  think  a  "Gatling  gun"  the  easiest 
method  of  solving  the  Indian  problem.  They  imagine 


223  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

the  Indian  has  had  no  injustice  of  which  to  complain.  A 
few  incidents  only  which  have  occurred  within  a  compar- 
atively short  period,  will  prove  the  fallacy  of  such  an  opin- 
ion. 

Indians  on  reservations  have  in  years  past,  'ere  the 
peace  policy  was  adopted,  and  even  since,  had  to  endure 
many  wrongs  they  were  powerless  to  avert.  What  could 
they  do?  To  whom  could  they  appeal  for  redress?  If 
they  rebelled  a  company  of  soldiers  was  ready  to  put  them 
down  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  the  eastern  papers 
would  be  full  of  the  "blood  thirsty  red  skins,"  and  sensa- 
tional headings  of  "Terrible  uprisings  among  the  Indians," 
(in  which  there  was  but  little  truth,)  appeared  in  the  daily 
papers,  or  furnished  matter  for  the  dime  novels. 

A  few  years  since  the  Indian  was  looked  upon  as  a  be- 
ing possessing  scarcely  any  human  attribute,  and  must  be 
dealt  with  accordingly. 

In  188.],  thousands  of  Indians  in  the  far  west  were  on 
the  point  of  starvation;  they  had  no  means  of  subsistence. 
(But  why  not  work,  says  some  eager  inquirer.  This  is 
like  the  story  of  the  famous  French  lady  who,  on  being 
told  that  the  masses  of  the  people  were  starving,  as  they 
had  no  bread,  exclaimed,  "And  why  don't  the  foolish 
creatures  eat  cake?") 

The  Indians  then  had  no  means  of  subsistence  in  this 
wild  and  barren  country,  except  by  the  chase.  They  had 
no  ammunition  to  kill  game,  and  the  game  had  been  near- 
ly all  driven  out  of  the  country,  (their  country,  to  which 
they  had  undisputed  right,)  by  the  encroachment  of  the 
whites. 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  22p 

In  this  dilemma  the  Agent  did  all  in  his  power  to  avert 
the  dread  catastrophe  of  thousands  of  Indians  in  the  des- 
peration that  hunger  gives,  rising  up  like  famished  beasts, 
and  sweeping  all  before  them.  The  situation  was  thrill- 
ing; the  few  white  settlers  were  terrified  at  the  position  in 
which  they  were  placed,  and  of  course  these  Indians  were 
unreasonable.  (Indians  always  are).  They  ought  to  have 
recognized  the  fact  that  the  Indian  Department  cannot  act 
hastily  in  these  matters;  certain  rules  must  be  observed; 
and  the  clerks  might  be  even  then  taking  their  annual  va- 
cation, and  if  the  matter  must  be  brought  before  Congress, 
they  certainly  ought  to  have  patiently  awaited  the  result, 
and  yes,  indeed,  "  why  couldn't  the  foolish  creatures  eat 
cake?" 

Again  and  again  the  Agent  telegraphed  the  condition 
of  affairs  to  headquarters,  finally  resigning  his  position 
rather  than  risk  his  life,  while  the  commander  of  the  Fort 
near,  who  had  issued  rations  on  his  own  responsibility, 
then  implored  the  War  Department  to  furnish  him  with  a 
Gatling  gun  for  protection,  so  that  if  the  Indians  had  to 
starve,  they  must  be  made  do  so  "peaceably." 

Just  think  of  it  for  a  moment,  in  this  age  of  the  world's 
history.  To  ask  for  bread  and  get  a  stone  seems  bad 
enough;  but  to  ask  for  bread  and  get  a  Gatling  gun! 
After  a  time  some  relief  was  furnished  to  these  Indians 
by  Congress. 

Another  instance  occurred  but  a  few  short  years  since 
in  Indian  Territory,  and  is  still  fresh  in  the  mind  of  the 
public.  It  is  the  story  of  Big  Snake,  a  Ponca  Indian. 

An  Indian  never  gives  the  prompt  obedience  to  an  or- 


23O  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

der  accorded  by  a  white  person,  until  custom  has  taught 
him  to  do  so,  this  peculiarity  of  his  race  cost  Big  Snake 
his  life.  An  order  was  given  by  the  Agent  to  which  he 
did  not  immediately  respond.  If  we  remember  right  the 
Agent  concluded  Big  Snake  was  armed.  It  is  hard  to  tell 
for  what  reason.  He  was  told  (while  protesting  he  had  no 
fire  arms  of  any  kind)  to  raise  his  hands,  and  not  immedi- 
ately complying,  another  order  was  given,  this  time  to  the 
soldiers.  It  was  "Fire,"  and  Big  Snake  fell — dead. 

In  civilized  communities  this  little  act  would  have  been 
called  murder,  but  on  Indian  reservations,  no  such  harsh 
and  unseemly  words  are  used. 

"An  act  of  National  injustice  to  the  Indians  was  ex- 
posed by  Bishop  Whipple  in  an  address  he  delivered  in 
St.  Paul,  Minn.  He  stated  that  the  reservoirs  built  at  the 
headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  by  the  Government  in  1880, 
were  erected  in  spite  of  the  declaration  of  the  Attorney- 
General  that  the  Government  had  no  right  to  the  lands  or 
material.  The  result  has  been  that  the  Indians  have  seen 
their  crops  of  wild  rice  and  sugar,  and  their  supply  of  fish.; 
completely  destroyed,  and  they  have  no  means  of  subsis- 
tence left  them.  Congress  had  offered  them  $1,500  for 
the  overflow  of  their  lands  and  the  destruction  of  the  crops. 
The  Indians  are  in  want  now  and  growing  desperate. 
Through  the  efforts  of  their  friends  they  have  been  so  far 
peaceable,  but  during  the  coming  winter  no  one  need  be 
surprised  if  the  costly  Government  works  are  ruined  by 
men  made  desperate  by  hunger  and  want.  These  are  the 
same  Indians  with  whom  Senator  Rice  and  General  Siblev 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  23! 

lived  for  twenty  years,  and  who  were  always  friendly  to 
the  white  man." 

These  few  incidents,  taken  from  many  of  the  same 
nature,  do  not  exemplify  the  age  of  philanthrophy,  or  give 
evidence  of  man's  love  for  his  fellow  man.  Let  us  rather 
call  it  an  age  of  tragedy,  or  an  age  of  terror,  where  the 
strong  prey  against  the  weak,  and  the  weak  against  those 
still  weaker  than  themselves;  while  all  along  life's  pathway 
are  strewn  the  wounded  and  dying;  and  the  Good  Samar- 
itans upon  the  highway  are  few,  very  few  in  number. 

So  in  other  kingdoms,  this  law  of  nature  is  the  same. 
The  weaker  animal  affords  subsistence  and  life  to  the 
stronger.  One  animal  devours  another,  down  to  the  very 
smallest  animalcule  that  has  life,  and  is  so  small  it  is  invis- 
ible without  the  aid  of  a  powerful  glass.  The  .eye  that 
looked  through  a  microscope  at  a  single  drop  of  stagnant 
water,  saw  something  that  appeared  like  tall  grass  or 
reeds,  and  a  tiny  object,  apparently  hiding  within  it.  Only 
a  few  moments,  and  adown  the  water  came  another  still 
more  tiny  wiggling  object,  and  suddenly  the  other  one  in 
ambush  rushed  forth  and  devoured  it. 

Only  a  drop  of  water,  yet  a  tragedy  was  enacted  with- 
in it.  Then  think  of  the  vast  bodies  of  water,  and  the 
monsters  they  contain;  not  only  the  water  but  the  land, 
with  its  fierce  beasts  of  prey;  not  only  the  land  but  the  air, 
where  the  smaller  bird  is  caught  and  struggles  its  life  out 
in  the  talons  of  the  larger.  So  there  have  been  monsters 
in  human  form,  and  birds  of  prey  that  tore  with  their  ciuel 
talons  the  very  heart  strings  of  their  victim.  Even  in  the 
footsteps  of  nature  herself  tragedy  follows.  She  produces 


232  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

only  to  destroy  the  work  of  her  own  hands;  and  this  is  re- 
peated over  and  over  again,  as  the  seasons  come  and  go, 
in  the  endless  cycle  of  time. 

Of  late  years  the  Indian  National  Rights  Association 
has  been  organized,  and  numbers  among  its  members 
many  of  the  most  prominent  men  and  women  of  the  age. 
The  name  explains  itself.  The  object  is  to  secure  equita- 
ble laws  for  the  protection  of  the  Indian  by  appeals  to 
Congress;  to  send  teachers  among  them,  or  advance  their 
interest  in  any  way,  the  work  done  to  be  altogether  free 
from  denominational  bias.  The  Friends,  or  Quakers,  are 
prominent  in  this  association. 

Also,  that  true  friend  of  the  Indian,  Col.  A.  B.  Mea- 
cham,  (an  Iowa  man,)  lived  and  died  in  these  latter  years. 
He  was  one  of  the  Peace  Commissioners  to  settle  the 
trouble  with  the  Modocs.  The  foe  in  ambush  made  plans 
to  murder  the  Commissioners.  Canby  and  Thomas  were 
shot,  and  the  life  of  Col.  Meacham  was  saved  by  Wi-ne- 
ma,  an  Indian  woman  who  had  before  tried  to  warn  them 
of  danger,  at  the  risk  of  her  own  life;  and  who  struck 
down  the  pistol  pointed  at  him  by  an  Indian,  thereby  sav- 
ing Col.  Meacham  from  certain  death.  On  his  return  to 
Washington,  full  of  wounds  from  which  he  suffered  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  which  hastened  his  death;  did 
he  denounce  the  crafty  foe  who  had  wrought  so  much  ill? 
No.  Satisfied  from  long  experience  that  the  wrongs  in- 
flicted upon  the  Indian  race  needed  reparation;  that  wars 
were  caused  by  broken  treaties,  or  the  treachery  or  cupid- 
ity of  white  men,  he  devoted  the  remainder  of  his  life  to 
pleading  their  cause,  published  a  paper  devoted  to  their 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE   MUSQUAKIES.  233 

interest,  and  with  voice  and  pen  kept  not  silent,  until  pub- 
lic sentiment  was  awakened,  and  the  eyes  of  the  ignorant 
were  opened  to  the  fact  that  the  treatment  of  the  Indian 
must  reflect  and  cast  a  stain,  even  upon  the  bright  folds  of 
the  flag  that  has  been  dipped  in  the  life  blood,  of  so  many 
of  America's  true  sons. 

Seven  years  after  the  tragedy,  a  sketch  was  published 
describing  it,  under  the  title  of  "Roll  back  long  years," 
and  this  formed  the  subject  of  a  poem  by  the  writer,  which 
was  read  at  a  reception  given  in  Washington  to  Col.  Mea- 
cham,  on  the  seventh  anniversary  of  the  "Tragedv  of  the 
Lava  Beds." 

"ROLL  BACK  LONG  YEARS." 

Roll  back  long  years,  since  that  fatal  day, 
(For  seven  long  years  have  passed  away,) 
Since  the  field  was  red  from  the  ghastly  fight, 
And  the  wail  of  the  women  was  heard  all  night, 
When  a  people  maddened  by  trust  betrayed, 
Died  for  the  land  they  could  not  save. 

Roll  back  long  years,  see,  the  braves  are  near, 
And  in  solemn  council  they  all  appear, 
The  hatchet  is  lifted  in  each  man's  sight, 
No  pipe  of  peace  shall  be  smoked  to-night, 
Only  war  to  the  death  on  the  barren  plain, 
Only  rivers  of  blood  and  heaps  of  slain. 

Roll  back.    How  wildly  the  war  whoops  ring, 
What  terrible  thoughts  with  the  sound  they  bring, 
What  visions  of  gleaming  and  ghastly  knife, 
What  horrors  untold  in  the  deadly  strife; 


"234  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

God  pity  the  foe.    God  pity  the  friend, 
God  pity  each  one  to  the  bitter  end. 

Eoll  back.    For  see  o'er  that  lonely  way, 
A  woman  is  hastening  and  will  not  stay; 
She  goes  with  a  warning.    God  shield  her  well, 
Takes  her  life  in  her  hands  the  story  to  tell; 
She  goes,  (and  the  Christ  look  is  on  her  face,) 
To  save  the  enemies  of  her  race. 

Roll  back,  sad  years.    Three  men  of  peace 
Go  forth  to  council  that  strife  may  cease, 
Stand  bravely  alone  on  the  treach'rous  path, 
Saving  the  one  from  a  Nation's  wrath; 
Unarmed,  unshielded,  yet  not  afraid 
Of  a  maddened  people,  all  undismayed. 

Fierce  rings  the  wild  war  cry,  oh,  deadly  surprise, 
The  pistols  are  flashing  in  each  man's  eyes; 
The  foe  rushes  forth  that  in  ambush  had  lain, 
And  the  blood  of  the  brave  is  wat'ring  the  plain; 
One  thought  to  your  dear  ones,  one  prayer  if  ye  must, 
Then  Canby  and  Thomas  lie  low  in  the  dust. 

Roll  back  long  years,  long  years  of  pain, 
Wi-ne-ma's  strong  arms  rise  before  us  again, 
She  beats  down  the  pistols— oh,  fearless  and  true — 
A  heart  had  been  stilled  had  it  not  been  for  you ; 
Another  had  lain  with  his  comrades  at  rest, 
Far  from  the  home  and  friends  he  loved  best. 

Roll  back,  roll  back!  let  the  tear-drop  fall; 
\Ve  weep  for  the  mourners,  one  and  all— 
For  the  many  who  died,  both  white  and  red, 
And  gave  up  their  souls  on  the  Lava  bed  ; 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  235 

For  the  remnant  in  exile  who  mourn  with  grief 
The  loss  of  their  homes  and  their  fallen  chief. 

Roll  back,  sad  years,  while  we  breathe  a  sigh, 
(Doing  their  duty,  how  grand  to  die!) 
Let  the  flag  droop  low  o'er  their  place  of  rest, 
Let  it  lighten  the  hearts  that  loved  them  best ; 
Two  more  for  death,  yet  brave  deeds  shall  be 
Forever  revered  in  our  memory. 

And  where  is  Wi-ue-ma,  proud  Nature's  child? 
She  dwelleth  afar  in  the  lonely  wild, 
Walks  daily  the  paths  of  a  woman's  way, 
Doing  her  duty  each  passing  day ; 
Her  dusky  brow  bears  no  jewels  rare, 
But  royalty's  stamp  and  seal  is  there. 

And  where  is  the  life  her  strong  arm  won? 
In  the  beautiful  city  (his  work  begun), 
With  love  for  the  poor,  neglected  race, 
Thou  still  dost  plead  for  each  dusky  face ; 
Thy  hand  pens  many  a  thought  sublime, 
Worthy  the  great  ones  of  olden  time. 

Koll  on,  bright  years!    Let  the  coming  age 
Blot  out  each  stain  on  our  history's  page ; 
With  the  people  just  and  the  leaders  bold, 
Good  will  toward  all  shall  the  future  hold. 
And  out  from  the  darkness  of  error's  night 
Justice  and  truth  shall  make  all  things  bright. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  Jackson,  whose  death  was  recorded  within 
the  present  year,  was  another  warm  friend  of  the  Indian, 
and  wrote  much  on  the  glaring  injustice  shown  them, 


236  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG    THE    MUSQUAKIES. 

proving  that  the  heart  of  the  talented  writer  scorned  the 
flagrant  wrong  that  had  been  so  often  inflicted  on  a  people 
powerless  to  avert  it,  or  long  resent  it.  Might  conquers 
always  in  such  cases.  Before  the  death  of  this  lady  she 
made  the  request  that  she  be  buried  in  Cheyenne  Pass. 
There  she  rests  upon  the  mountain  side,  the  wind  chanting 
her  requiem.  There  let  her  rest  until  the  great  morning 
davvneth,  when  the  mountains  shall  disappear,  and  the  ev- 
erlasting hills  fade  away;  and  when  all  the  errors  and  mis- 
takes made  by  humanity,  whether  nation  or  individual, 
shall  be  righted;  when  sordid  "time  and  measure"  shall 
disappear,  and  the  small  aims  and  petty  ambitions  or 
desires,  that  characterized  us  here,  shall  sink  away  into 
eternal  nothingness. 

It  is  comparatively  but  a  short  time  since  the  story  of 
the  Poncas  rang  from  east  to  west.  Against  their  wishes 
they  were  forced  by  an  edict  from  the  Indian  Department 
to  leave  their  homes  on  the  Niobrara  and  go  to  Indian 
Territory.  Amid  the  wails  of  the  women  and  children,  in 
bitterness  of  soul  they  took  up  their  weary  march.  Turn- 
ed their  backs  on  the  graves  of  the  dead,  and  all  the  asso- 
ciations that  were  dear,  and  under  the  escort  of  soldiers 
were  forced  onward.  Even  the  elements  protested  against 
the  outrage,  and  wild  and  stormy  weather  followed  them 
for  days,  so  that  many  of  the  old  and  feeble  died  from  ex- 
posure, and  were  buried  beside  the  way.  The  Chief's 
daughter,  who  was  ill  with  consumption,  died  when  only 
a  few  days  out. 

Arriving  in  Indian  Territory  at  an  unfavorable  season, 
the  climate  soon  carried  off  large  nnmbers.  The  Chief, 


TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG  THE  MUSQUAKIES.  237 

Standing  Bear,  was  captured  and  put  in  jail  in  Omaha, 
while  those  who  came  with  him,  finally  found  their  way 
to  their  old  home.  In  the  meantime  some  charitable  per- 
sons interested  themselves  in  the  matter,  and  procured  the 
release  of  the  Chief,  who  traveled  through  the  east  lectur- 
ing in  the  principal  cities,  and  telling  of  the  wrongs  of  his 
people.  After  his  return  he  went  to  his  people,  and 
through  a  winter  unknown  before  for  severity,  and  the 
depth  of  the  snow,  they  lived — how?  In  tents,  that  but 
poorly  gave  them  protection,  and  upon  roots  dug  out  of 
the  ground;  upon  anything,  and  everything;  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  charity  of  many  good  people  they  must  have 
perished. 

The  writer  took  dinner  at  the  same  table  with  Stand- 
ing Bear,  Big  Smoke,  and  two  other  Poncas,  all  invited 
guests,  and  heard  them  declare  through  an  interpreter, 
that  it  was  the  first  full  meal  they  had  eaten  for  two 
months,  while  they  asked  in  their  own  phraseology  to  be 
excused  because  they  ate  so  much,  as  it  was  on  this  ac- 
count. The  Indian  Department  finally  allowed  them  to 
again  settle  on  their  own  soil. 

Among  those  who  interceded  for  the  rights  of 
the  Poncas  was  the  late  Mr.  Sinclair,  of  Cedar 
Rapids,  another  true  friend  to  the  Indian,  and  after  his 
death  we  read  the  letter  he  had  written  to  Washington  in 
their  behalf,  which  was  forwarded,  with  an  order  for  the 
relief  of  the  Poncas,  to  their  agent.  So  true  it  was  that 
"his  good  works  followed  him." 

But  in  contrast  to  the  dark  side  of  the  picture,  the 
bright  shines  forth  with  still  greater  luster,  while  "dark- 


238  TWO  SUMMERS  AMONG   THE   MUSQUAKIES. 

ness  shows  us  light  we  never  saw  by  day."  So  the  dark 
days  have  been  illumined  by  the  vast  good  that  has  already 
been  accomplished  in  rescuing  so  many  from  a  life  of  ig- 
norance and  degradation. 

While  this  is  true  of  other  tribes,  it  cannot  be  an  im- 
possibility that;the  Sac  and^Fox  are  outside  the  pale  of 
advancement,  either  in  education,  industry,  or  Christi- 
anity, and  yet  it  needs  more  than  time  to  accomplish  this 
object.  That  has  not  been  stinted.  Thirty  years  spent  in 
Iowa  has  furnished  time  enough  to  accomplish  any  desired 
result,  if  that  alone  was  needed. 

Let  wise  heads  ponder  on  this  problem,  and  let  such 
measures  be  advanced  by  those  in  authority  that  it  may  at 
length  reach  a  successful  solution. 

So  we  bid  adieu  to  one  and  all.  To  the  red  man, 
clothed  with  dignit}%  and  a  blanket;  to  the  squaw,  whose 
one  virtue  may  be  fidelity;  and  to  the  children,  wild  and 
free  as  the  birds,  with  no  more  thought  of  the  morrow,  or 
the  heritage  to  which  they  are  born. 


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